Spain will get their Women's World Cup campaign underway against Costa Rica, looking to bounce back from a disappointing Euro's campaign.
Preparation for the tournament has been far from smooth, though, with 15 players at the end of 2022 refusing to play under coach Jorge Vidal, and whilst many have now returned to the fold, it has clouded their preparations for the tournament.
They will be boosted by the presence of star player Alexia Putellas, who missed much of the Euro's through injury.
Costa Rica meanwhile will hope to cause a big surprise in their opening clash, though knowing they are considered underdogs.
MORE: Complete Spain World Cup squad
What time is Spain vs. Costa Rica?
Spain's clash against Costa Rica kicks off at 7:30 p.m. local time, with the match taking place at Wellington Regional Stadium.
- Date: Friday, July 21
- Time: 7:30 p.m. NZT (3:30 a.m. ET)
Here is the kick off times for timezones around the world:
| Timezone | Time |
|---|---|
| Australia (AEST) | 5:30 p.m. |
| New Zealand (NZT) | 7:30 p.m. |
| USA (ET) | 3:30 a.m. |
| UK (BST) | 8:30 a.m. |
| Singapore (SGT) | 3:30 p.m. |
| Malaysia (MYT) | 3:30 p.m. |
| Hong Kong (HKT) | 3:30 p.m. |
| India (IST) | 1:00 p.m. |
MORE: Complete World Cup schedule
Spain vs Costa Rica TV channel, live stream
This clash at the Women's World Cup will be broadcast all around the world, with many different broadcasters and streaming services making all the action available live.
Here is where fans can watch the match worldwide:
| Country | Television | Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Optus Sport | Optus Sport website/app |
| New Zealand | Sky Sports 1, Prime TV | Sky Sport NOW, Stuff World Cup website |
| USA | FS1, Telemundo | Fubo, Peacock, Fox Sports site/app, Telemundo Deportes site/app |
| Canada | TSN, RDS (French) | TSN+, RDS Direct (French) |
| UK | BBC Sport | BBC iPlayer |
| Singapore | Singtel | Singtel TV GO, MeWatch |
| Hong Kong | NOW Sports Prime | NOW Sports Prime |
| Malaysia | — | — |
| India | DD Sports | Fancode |
Spain vs Costa Rica lineups
Alexia Putellas is not risked from the start for this match but will be an option off the bench should she be needed.
Her Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmati does start as Spain look to record a strong performance in their first match of the tournament.
Spain starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Rodriguez (GK) — Batlle, Andres, Parades, Carmona — Bonmati, Abelleira — Castillo, Hermoso, Parralluelo — Gonzalez
Costa Rica's flair and creative spark will come from Melissa Herrera, but their gameplan will be to sit back and soak up the pressure and possession Spain will undoubtedly put them under.
Daniela Solera in goal will also have to have a strong performance if Costa Rica are to get anything out of this clash.
Costa Ria starting lineup (5-4-1): Solera (GK) — Coto, Benavides, F. Villalobos, Campo, Elizondo — Herrera, Alvarado, G. Villalobos, Chinchila — Salas
Spain vs Costa Rica betting odds
This match is one of the most lopsided at the World Cup, with Spain currently at incredibly short odds to defeat Costa Rica.
Bookmakers clearly believe it would be miraculous for Costa Rica to get anything out of this match, though anything can happen in football and especially at the World Cup!
| Spain win | Draw | China win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | ESP -1.5 | CRC +1.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | — | — | — | 4/1 / 1/8 | 1/9 / 5/1 | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | -10000 | +1300 | +2900 | -122/-127 | — | — | — |
| SkyBet (UK) | 1/200 | 40/1 | 150/1 | 7/2 / 1/6 | 1/12 / 6/1 | — | — |
| Dafabet (India) | 1/150 | 11/1 | 22/1 | 3/1 / 19/100 | 1/12 / 11/2 | 1/25 | 15/2 |
| Unibet (Australia) | 1.01 | 21.00 | 41.00 | — | 1.09/6.75 | — | — |
Odds correct as of July 19
