New Zealand v Norway: Women’s World Cup 2023 Group A – live updates

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41 mins: Corner to New Zealand now… Percival pings it across but it’s easily cleared by a Norway head.

39 mins: Here come New Zealand. Wilkinson plays it wide to Reilly, but her foray forward is ended by a physical challenge that the ref deems fair (the majority of the crowd don’t agree, perhaps unsurprisingly).

37 mins: Bott and Hansen collide, but it’s a fair shoulder charge from the Norway player, and it’ll be a Norway throw.

35 mins: Oh! best chance of the game! Graham-Hansen turns on the after-burners down the right before playing the ball inside to Hegerberg, but Stott is there to make a crucial block!

34 mins: New Zealand have done very well so far; they’ve defended resolutely but also enjoyed moments of their own going forward. And the Norway defence has, at times, failed to convince.

32 mins: From the resulting free-kick, Bowen delivers the ball towards Wilkinson at the back stick. She’s unmarked but her header back across the face of goal is too close to Mikalsen and the keeper claims comfortably.

31 mins: Blakstad is pulled up for another Norwegian foul and she’s given what seems like a final warning from the referee. A card is likely the next time she steps out of line.

30 mins: Riley does well on the New Zealand right, as she dances past Engen, who is caught a bit flat-footed. But she ends up running the ball out of play. Shame, as that was a lovely bit of skill.

28 mins: More neat passing from Norway… it ends up with Blakstad on the left, and after a one-two off the unwitting Riley, she sends over a cross. It’s easy enough for Esson in the New Zealand goal to claim though.

27 mins: Oh that’s nice from Norway… a neat exchange of passes and headers involving four players. Nice, but doesn’t get them anywhere.

26 mins: Just over halfway through the first half and it’s still goalless. No real clear-cut chances to speak of, and New Zealand have held their own so far against a much more fancied opponent.

24 mins: What a run by Steinmetz! She brings the ball out of the back and as things open up for her, she just keeps on going, and going, until she overruns it slightly and the move breaks down. The crowd respond!

22 mins: The referee has a word with Guro Reiten, after the Chelsea star is pulled up for a third Norwegian foul in quick succession. A sign of a bit of frustration creeping in?

20 mins: They’re praising CJ Bott on the telly and rightly so. The Leicester City defender has been heavily involved at right-back so far, and not much has got past her.

19 mins: Great play now from Blakstad, who crosses towards Hegerberg. The former Ballon d’Or winner nods down with precision to Maanum, but she skies over the bar! Well worked, and unlucky not to open the scoring there.

18 mins: Norway manage to get clear eventually and Graham-Hansen wins a corner, from which Hegerberg rises high but can’t direct the ball goalwards.

17 mins: Nothing comes of it for New Zealand, but they keep the ball in the Norway half and Bott’s eventual ball into the box causes more consternation. It nearly falls kindly for Hassett as the Norwegian defence dithers again!

16 mins: Bowen sends over a free-kick to the far post… Blakstad reckons she hasn’t touched it, but the ball runs out for a corner.

15 mins: A word on the crowd – it’s difficult to tell for sure from the TV pictures, but it certainly looks like a decent-sized crowd at Eden Park.

14 mins: Here come Norway, a long ball punted forward, but that’s not going to work. It bounces all the way through to Esson in the Football Ferns goal.

12 mins: Seeing that Hegerberg is in the action, why not take a look at her player profile?

11 mins: It opens up for Hassett after a lovely ball through from Stott, but her shot on goal is well blocked by Harviken!

10 mins: Reilly wins a free-kick now after a muscular challenge from Hegerberg (who is heavily involved at the moment, as you would expect her to be).

8 mins: This game is being played at a hectic pace so far. New Zealand, searching for their first World Cup win of course, are not overawed by the occasion so far and they’re giving Norway as good as they’ve got going forward to this point.

7 mins: Moments later Hegerberg gives another indication of her immense talent with an acrobatic bicycle kick. She mis-times it this time, but 10 out of 10 for vision.

6 mins: Back down to the other end, and Hegerberg hares off on a run of her own down the left-hand side again. Her ball into the box finds… no one. There isn’t a single white shirt there and the move breaks down.

5 mins: Ohh, but what’s this! Wilkinson storms clear down the inside right channel… she just takes one touch too many and with the angle too tight, she can’t get a shot off that will test Mikalsen in the Norway goal. The 2015 champions make a hash of clearing their lines though, and there’s a moment of panic before they do eventually get it clear!

4 mins: New Zealand are struggling to get out of their own half at this point though. Norway are pressing high when not in possession.

3 mins: Hegerberg on the Norway left now is held up, but the visitors retain possession and end it winning a throw. Still Norway press down the left-hand side. Eventually the ball is put out and it’ll be a throw for the Football Ferns, to be taken by CJ Bott.

2 mins: Frida Maanum tries a nifty little flick early on, but it doesn’t come off this time, as Norway’s attacking intent is put on show early on.

1 min: New Zealand get us going!

So, here we go then. Years of waiting have come to this point. The pre-match is finally done, the teams are ready, the ref has her whistle in her mouth… strap yourselves in for a month of football. And the Women’s World Cup in this year of 2023 is under way!

Nearly there. But now time for a minute’s silence in memory of the two people who lost their lives earlier this morning in Auckland city centre.

Time for a quick team picture for the Football Ferns before a toss of the coin and an exchange of pennants in the centre circle. New Zealand are in all black, Norway in all white. The VAR room is all set – don’t forget we have that video technology available this tournament.

Eden Park looks sensational from an aerial shot with the lights on, the teams on the pitch, huge flags next to them. We’re getting through the anthems. Norway first, sang lustily by their players. New Zealand follow, plenty of smiles on the faces of their players. Prime minister Chris Hipkins is in the crowd.

Thanks Jo. Brilliant stuff, teeing this all up over the past couple of hours. It may have been brief, by Olympic standards at least, but that was a decent opening ceremony in my opinion. Poignant given today’s news, but also a celebration of this event, as it should be. Just 10 minutes to go to the big kick-off. The World Cup trophy is making its entrance onto the pitch. It takes its place on a pink plinth, and will be followed by the teams shortly.

The briefest of opening ceremonies!

On that note I will hand over to Mike Hytner who will take you through this opening game between New Zealand and Norway minute by minute.

Thanks for starting the Women’s World Cup with me.

It’s anthem time! Mallrat and Benee are getting the crowd pumped up with their official song Do It Again.