At 15:00 China Time today, the opening match of the Women’s World Cup between New Zealand and Norway is about to kick off. Before the game, players from the host team, New Zealand, gave interviews with a relaxed mindset, looking forward to the match.
New Zealand women’s football captain Ali Riley said, “Stepping onto the pitch for the opening match, it suddenly feels very real—the game is just around the corner.”
“We have done everything we can and made thorough preparations. I think the focus now is to enjoy the tournament, embrace it, and welcome teams and fans from all over the world to this beautiful country.”
“For us, the goal is very clear—we hope to win the opening match and advance from the group stage.”
Another player, Ria Percival, added, “We have been training hard and are fully focused on the World Cup. Our goal is to inspire the young generation in New Zealand—not just now, but also in the future.”
“We want to leave them a valuable legacy: the New Zealand women’s football team has achieved something they can be proud of, and they should strive to surpass us and lead the New Zealand women’s football team to even greater heights.”
