2023 Women's World Cup: Australia, New Zealand capture wins in the opening round of tournament

Steph Catley of the Matildas celebrates with her team mates after scoring a goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia on July 20, 2023 in Sydney, Australia

The 2023 Women’s World Cup opened with Australia and New Zealand grabbing wins on day one of the tournament Thursday. 

Australia opens Women's World Cup with a 1-0 win over Ireland

Australia got off to a winning start at the Women’s World Cup by beating Ireland 1-0 despite the absence of star striker Sam Kerr. Steph Catley swept home a 52nd-minute penalty to end Ireland’s resistance and spark an eruption of joy from fans inside Stadium Australia.

RELATED: Star player Sam Kerr ruled out of Australia's opening two Women's World Cup matches with injury

Steph Catley swept home a 52nd-minute penalty to end Ireland's resistance and spark an eruption of joy from fans inside Stadium Australia.

New Zealand upsets Norway 1-0 on emotional 1st day in host nation

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Hannah Wilkinson of New Zealand celebrates after scoring her team's first goal while Aurora Mikalsen of Norway shows dejection during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group A match between New Zealand and Norway at Eden

In one of the earlier games, New Zealand defeated Norway 1-0 for its first-ever win at the Women’s World Cup just hours after a shooting in downtown Auckland that shocked the host nation.

A gunman stormed a high-rise construction site near Norway's team hotel and opened fire, killing two people. The gunman was found dead after a police shootout.

New Zealand got the nod to stage the first game, although co-host Australia's match against Ireland in Sydney started about an hour later. The Football Ferns had played in five previous World Cups, but hadn't won a match.

RELATED: Gunman kills 2 in New Zealand ahead of Women's World Cup

Nigeria faces Canada in Group B match

And the action continues later tonight, when Nigeria faces Canada in a Group B, match at 10:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Where is the Women’s World Cup?

Australia and New Zealand are scheduled to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. It will be the first FIFA Women's World Cup to have two host nations.

How can I stream the Women’s World Cup?

The Women’s World Cup will be available for streaming on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App. You can also watch on any streaming service that carries FOX and FS1 such as Sling or YouTube TV.

How can I watch the Women’s World Cup for free?

If you have an antenna that picks up FOX, you can watch matches played on FOX for free.

How can I watch full replays of the Women’s World Cup?

Full replays of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will be available on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.