MIAMI — The Women’s World Cup kicks off Thursday in Australia and New Zealand, which means soccer fans in the United States will be setting early morning alarms, as they did for the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar and as diehard tennis fans do for the Australian Open.
The first match is New Zealand vs. Norway at noon Thursday in Auckland, which is 3 a.m. Eastern time. The second opening day game is Australia vs. Ireland at 8 p.m. in Sydney, which is 6 a.m. ET.
It is the first time the Women’s World Cup will be held in the Southern Hemisphere, in the winter, so don’t be surprised to see players wearing long sleeves and leggings while fans are bundled up in the stands.