Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

The BBC has apologized for an “inappropriate” question one of its reporters asked the captain of the Morocco women’s national team.

At a media conference ahead of Morocco’s Women’s World Cup opener against Germany, a reporter from the British news organization’s World Service asked Ghizlane Chebbak: “In Morocco, it’s illegal to have a gay relationship. Do you have any gay players in your squad and what’s life like for them in Morocco?”

The press conference moderator interjected, saying: “Sorry, this is a very political question, so we’ll just stick to questions relating to football.”

“No, it’s not political,” the journalist replied. “It’s about people, it’s got nothing to do with politics. Please let her answer the question.”

There was then one more question before the press conference was ended.

According to Human Rights Watch, “Moroccan law also criminalizes what it refers to as acts of ‘sexual deviancy’ between members of the same sex. Article 489 of the penal code punishes same-sex relations with prison terms of up to three years and fines of up to 1,000 dirhams ($91).”

The Athletic’s Steph Yang, who was in the room, said that “some members of the Moroccan media were audibly dismayed by the question.”

Shireen Ahmed, a reporter for CBC Sports who was also in the room, wrote that the reporter was “completely out of line.”

“Harm reduction matters and posing the question to the captain or coach was unnecessary,” she added.

“Asking a player about her teammates and whether they are gay and how it affects them when you know it is not permissible is bizarre and out of line. The captain cannot out players nor comment on policy bc [because] it could be dangerous for them, too,” Ahmed wrote.

“If reporting harms someone, it is not only unethical but dangerous.”

Morocco began its 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign with a heavy 6-0 defeat by Germany on Monday.

World soccer governing body FIFA is allowing a variety of different armbands that highlight “a range of social causes” to be worn at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

During the tournament, team captains are each allowed to wear an armband chosen from eight different social causes, including gender equality, inclusion and peace.

There is no explicit mention of LGBTQ rights in Women’s World Cup armbands, beyond the themes of “gender equality” and “inclusion.”

Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

Women’s World Cup co-host New Zealand can potentially secure a place in the tournament’s knockout stages with a win against the Philippines in Group A on Tuesday.

Switzerland could also book its spot in the round of 16 with a win against Norway – if other results go its way in Group A.

Meanwhile, Colombia and South Korea will play their first 2023 Women’s World Cup game in Group H.

How to watch

In the US, the match will air on your local Fox channel. You can also stream the match by signing in with your TV provider at foxsports.com or on the Fox Sports app. Telemundo and Peacock are providing Spanish-language coverage.

Seven Network and Optus Sport are broadcasting matches in Australia and the BBC and ITV have the rights in the United Kingdom.

A full breakdown of media rights holders in each country is available on the FIFA website.

Colombia vs. South Korea starts at 10 p.m. ET Monday, New Zealand vs. the Philippines kicks off at 1:30 a.m. ET and Switzerland takes on Norway at 4 a.m. ET.

Colombia vs. South Korea

Colombia and South Korea have waited a long time to make their first appearance at the 2023 Women’s World Cup – this match is the last game from the opening round of fixtures after the tournament kicked off on July 20.

Colombia reached the round of 16 at the 2019 World Cup and, having drawn a favorable group, will be confident of repeating this success.

South Korea failed to get out of its group four years ago.

New Zealand vs. Philippines

After winning its first ever Women’s World Cup game last week, the Football Ferns can make history again in their second game of the 2023 tournament as the co-hosts seek to reach the knockout stages.

Hannah Wilkinson finished off a brilliant team move to give New Zealand the 1-0 win in its opening game and a chance to progress further in the tournament.

“I’m so, so proud. We’ve been fighting for this for so long. We had a clear goal that we wanted to inspire young girls here and around the world, and I think we did that this evening. Anything is possible,” New Zealand’s tearful captain Ali Riley told the BBC after the tournament opener.

While New Zealand will be relying on other results to guarantee its spot in the knockout stages, a win against the Philippines remains vital.

After upsetting Norway, the Philippines would seem to represent an easier challenge for the Ferns, but as seen throughout this tournament, no result is set in stone.

The Philippines had tough start to their 2023 tournament, losing 2-0 against Switzerland.

Switzerland vs. Norway

In that match against the Philippines, Ramona Bachmann scored from the penalty spot and Seraina Séverin Piubel made it 2-0 with a scrappy second-half goal for the Swiss.

Switzerland could have easily added to the scoreline after dominating against the Philippines but will be happy with its overall performance.

Meanwhile, Norway will be hoping to get its World Cup campaign back on track.

The Gresshoppene had been the favorites going into the game against New Zealand, but spurred on by the home crowd, the Football Ferns took the 1-0 shock win.

Norway star Ada Hegerberg, making her World Cup comeback, had a limited impact on the first game and the Norwegians will need to involve their talisman more to progress.

Just five days into the 2023 Women’s World Cup and many of the tournament underdogs are already making a name for themselves.

Jamaica’s goalless draw with world No. 5 France on Sunday was just the latest shock result. On Thursday New Zealand won its first Women’s World Cup game by beating Norway.

Even if results haven’t gone the way of the smaller teams, many games have been much closer than expected.

Haiti, for example, was unlucky not to get something from its match against European champion England on Saturday and the Republic of Ireland could have stolen a point against cohost Australia on Thursday.

After guiding his own side to an historic result against France, Jamaica’s manager Lorne Donaldson said he wasn’t surprised by the way smaller nations were performing.

“Starting from everything, from the diet, to the coaching, to the physical training, the smaller countries are getting an understanding,” he told reporters.

“We might not have the resources that bigger countries do, in terms of equipment and travel, but I think there is an understanding there with coaches and technical staff […] our preparation is a little bit better.”

For the first time, 32 teams are competing in this year’s Women’s World Cup – including eight nations making their tournament debut.

It led to concerns that nations such as the USWNT, England and France, which boast comparatively bountiful resources, would walk over the less experienced sides.

During the 2019 edition in France, the USWNT humiliated Thailand 13-0 in a game which highlighted the disparity in the women’s game – some even criticised the US players for not taking mercy on their opponents.

But this year, in its first game of the tournament, reigning champion USWNT only managed to win 3-0 against Vietnam which, in truth, was a closer scoreline than many had expected.

There has been some one-sided games, though. Japan thrashed Zambia 5-0 on Saturday and Germany beat Morocco 6-0 on Monday, but such score lines were not commonplace in the opening fixtures.

“Once upon a time, the US in particular was very dominant but you see the gap is closing and the smaller nations are jumping on that bandwagon,” Donaldson added.

“The smaller nations are believing that they can get this done.”

Led by the supremely talented Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, Jamaica deserved to draw against tournament frontrunners France on Sunday.

It was the first point the Reggae Girlz had earned at a World Cup, having only played one previous tournament.

Donaldson praised the number of promising youngsters coming through the ranks and said the opportunity for players to play in the world’s top leagues was helping to raise the level of the team.

Jamaica’s Deneisha Blackwood, who was player of the match on Sunday, echoed her manager’s thoughts and said players are now confident they can stand up to the sport’s biggest stars.

“Not saying the bigger team doesn’t have heart but I think smaller countries coming into these games have a lot on the line and I think we just play with our heart,” she told reporters, after celebrating Jamaica’s 0-0 draw as if it was a win.

“The football world is growing and it shows in smaller countries too.”

Jamaica is now one of the less experienced teams dreaming of a place in the knockout stages of the competition.

But, whatever happens next, Donaldson said the team, ranked 43rd in the world, has already made history against the French.

“I would say it was the number one result we’ve had so far,” he said. “You’re playing a team like France which is just fantastic.

“I think it’s the number one result I have seen, men or women. If you go by the rankings then you’d say that the result, on this stage, has to be number one.”

Jamaica faces Panama and Brazil in its final two group stage matches, knowing a victory would go a long way to securing a place in the next round.

Eyes will be on all the underdogs to see if they can keep competing against the bigger teams once players get settled into the tournament.

Traveling to Maldives – the 1,000-island archipelago off the western coast of India that’s one of the world’s most glamorous beach destinations – is always a special occasion. Now, a new airline aims to make it even more so.

Beond – pronounced “beyond” – aims to create a “private jet” experience by using narrow-body aircraft (rather than the wide-body often used on routes to the Maldives), and offering an all-premium cabin with lie-flat seats which share components with Ferrari cars.

Based in Malé and set to start flying in fall 2023, Beond will initially operate a small fleet of Airbus A319 aircraft, before switching to the larger Airbus A321. Dubai and Delhi are the first two confirmed destinations.

Chasing the competition

About three dozen airlines currently offer service to Velana International Airport, Maldives’ main airport near the capital island Malé. To compete against them, Beond plans to choose its destinations carefully and fly customers directly to the island, rather than going through a connection in a hub, as the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines do.

“We’re going for the airports with big catchment areas, with a certain wealth behind it, and then fly people directly,” says Feuerherd. So in Germany, for example, Beond wouldn’t target Frankfurt – a business hub with plenty of competition. Instead, they’d go for Munich, which has less competition and a higher incidence of leisure travelers.

In other markets, like Asia, Beond plans to enter into direct competition with other carriers and differentiate itself with a higher-quality service instead. “The Maldives is one of those markets that can fill an aircraft, even a mostly economy class cabin,” says Feuerherd. “But that is making the Maldives lose some high-end passengers, because if they don’t find adequate transportation, they’d rather go somewhere else. That’s where we really come into the game.”

Beond will offer a total of just 44 seats on its Airbus A319s, even though the plane can carry up to 156 passengers in an all-economy layout. On the larger A321s, which will enter service in 2024, they plan to have 68 seats on a plane that normally has room for up to 220 economy passengers.

This means there will be no dreaded middle seats – the two-abreast configuration aims to provide a sense of luxury and comfort. Designed by Italian manufacturer Optimares, which supplied similar interiors for a custom-designed Four Seasons A321 private jet, the seats share components with LaFerrari, a luxury sports car that was priced at about $1.5 million upon its release in 2013, and now sells for much more at auction.

“I’m about six feet tall and so is our CEO, and that was pretty much the size reference we worked with, to avoid getting the feeling that we were slipping out of the bed,” says Feuerherd. “We also very quickly decided that we wanted to have two abreast, because of the nature of our passengers, which is a lot of couples.”

Competing on price

Jointly owned by UAE-based firm Arabesque and Maldivian hospitality company SIMDI, Beond’s operating certificate is from Maldives as a designated carrier. It has a 50-year agreement with the Maldivian government.

Although it plans to start flying as early as September, the airline is still coy on its launch destinations beyond Delhi and Dubai, but Feuerherd says that, once at capacity (by the end of 2024), roughly 60% of the airline’s traffic will come from Europe, with around 20 destinations.

Asian routes will include Japan, South Korea and China, and Beond will also offer direct connections to Australia, starting with Perth, and South Africa, initially to Cape Town.

By the end of 2024, the airline plans to operate about a dozen aircraft, all on lease, including some brand new A321LR airplanes – long-range versions of the popular A321.

Using narrowbody aircraft will be unusual on some of Beond’s longer routes, which are normally served by larger, wide-body planes such as the Airbus A350 or the Boeing 787.

However all-business class airlines have used narrow-bodies before. La Compagnie, a French boutique airline connecting Paris to New York, has two A321LRs in its fleet of four (the others are A321neos). The Four Seasons private jet is also an A321LR. British Airways, meanwhile, used an A318 – the smallest aircraft in the Airbus A320 family – for its erstwhile all-business class flight from London to New York.

And perhaps the small plane is the key. EOS, Maxjet and Silverjet, which all offered all-business class transatlantic flights before going bust in 2007 and 2008, all used wide-body aircraft.

According to Feuerherd, the smaller plane won’t be a problem for most passengers, because although the cabin will lack the “airiness” of larger aircraft, it’ll increase the private jet feel.

“I do believe the advantages and disadvantages are really equalizing each other there,” he says. “We wouldn’t be able to fill a wide-body with this concept – it would be slightly too big. But we have significant cost savings with a narrow-body, in terms of cost of ownership, fuel burn, staff involved, landing and handling charges, which is something that really gives us a competitive advantage over the big birds.”

As a result, Beond will be priced “attractively,” with fares from Europe starting at around $3,000 return, but increasing during peak season – which, for Maldives, is December to April.

Meanwhile, Emirates is currently selling Dubai-Malé tickets from December to April next year from around $3100 in business class. There are no direct flights from Delhi, but carriers including Air India have business class seats from around $750 with a single connection.

“My personal target on the commercial side is that if we become too greedy, it’s not going to be helpful,” says Feuerherd. “We will not want to be the leader in terms of price.” He adds that most bookings are projected to come from tour operators rather than directly from customers.

A niche market

According to Rob Morris, global head of consultancy at Cirium, an aviation consultancy, the initial routes that Beond is targeting – Dubai and Delhi – have differing potential.

“Dubai is presently well served from Malé, with an average of seven daily rotations in August 2023 and more than 60,000 seats each way in the month,” he says, citing schedule data that Cirium has pulled.

“This includes around 12% of those seats in premium class. Competition on that route will be challenging.

“In contrast, Delhi-Malé is presently unserved, at least directly, hence there may be more opportunity.”

Mike Stengel, a principal at Aerodynamic Advisory, another aviation consultancy, says that in the history of aviation, the fortunes of all-business class airlines have not been great: “One reason is that their destiny is tied to these concentrated niche markets; they simply don’t offer the same type of connectivity options that network airlines do.”

By being tied to only premium class travelers, he adds, they’re susceptible to downturns or softening in business travel demand: “In the long term, I think they’re going to face some pretty stiff competition, especially from the large Middle East airlines. It’s hard for anyone to beat out first or business class from Emirates or Qatar or Etihad.”

However, he believes that Maldives is certainly the right market for a new luxury option. “I think there are some legs to this, especially if they can channel demand from luxury travel agencies that are selling it as part of a package,” he says.

“There probably is a niche to carve out of premium travelers who want more of a private jet experience, but maybe don’t have the private jet budget.”

A wave of deadly protests has hit Kenya as anger over tax hikes and the cost of living spilled into the streets.

At least three people were reportedly killed in the latest round of demonstrations this week, with hundreds arrested, businesses attacked and schools closed.

During protests last week the UN said up to 23 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters, although the government has disputed this figure.

Despite the violence, the government has been standing firm, with President WIlliam Ruto saying protests will not be allowed as he “cannot accept anarchy.”

Here’s what’s behind the upheaval in Kenya.

Why are Kenyans out on the streets?

Kenyans are angry about unpopular tax hikes that the government has signed into law.

Despite a court order to temporarily halt the implementation of some portions of the bill, the government went ahead and increased tax on petroleum products which has led to a rise in cost of transport and staples.

However, 10 months after being sworn into office, the cost of living has continued to rise, and the raft of new tax hikes have only made living conditions worse.

“He (Ruto) campaigned on a platform of moving into mainstream the poor who have been forgotten over the years. He called them the ‘Hustlers.’ So, there were certainly a lot of expectations from that quarter, that for once we have a leader who is going to look at our problems, but he’s been unable to attend to even the most basic,” Manyora said.

“Some of the measures he has introduced, like lifting the subsidies on maize flour, the staple of this country, and a number of measures he has taken fly in the face of his promises and actually hurt the same people he had promised to remove from poverty. The people feel betrayed,” Manyora added.

Nagudi, 34, says she is one of many Kenyans who “feel betrayed” by President Ruto. Nagudi supports the demonstrations but is scared to join them, she says.

“It’s risky and the protests haven’t been peaceful … We feel betrayed, and that’s why there’s a lot of protests and looting,” says Nagudi, whose shop was looted during demonstrations in the past week.

“They raided one of my shops. They broke the fridge and drank all the sodas in it … they were just throwing and destroying everything,” she added.

Why are taxes being introduced now?

President Ruto says they will help create jobs and increase domestic revenue.

Ruto inherited a battered economy grappling with soaring inflation, a high debt burden, unemployment and post-COVID stagnation.

Shortly after his inauguration last September, Ruto announced a halt in food subsidies introduced by his predecessor, saying he was shifting focus to food production.

The Kenyan leader also terminated subsidies for fuel and electricity, describing them as unsustainable. He defended his actions, saying his administration had saved large sums of money that would have been spent on the expensive subsidies.

But many Kenyans are unhappy about these policies that continue to worsen the country’s cost of living crisis.

“Some of the ideas may be good … but the timing is wrong,” said Manyora.

“In an economy that is not doing well, certainly it is not the right time. Salaried people are already paying from low salaries. There’s a very high cost of living, and they already have many levies and taxes on their pay slips.

“The economy has not even recovered from COVID. People are still trying to find economic bearing. Therefore, they shouldn’t introduce the sort of measures they have introduced, including levies on diesel and petrol, doubling the VAT. When you touch diesel and petrol, you touch many other things,” he added.

Who is leading the protests?

The opposition leader Raila Odinga and his Azimio la Umoja (One Kenya) coalition have led calls for protests over hikes.

Odinga lost the election in August last year but rejected the results saying they were manipulated. He has since led protests against the government.

But while protests were initially fueled by discontent over the election they have since morphed to include everyday Kenyans frustrated by the high cost of living.

However, analysts say Kenyans across party lines are dissatisfied with Ruto’s economic policies.

“It is now more than just about Raila but more to do with the spikes in prices of basic commodities, and fuel.”

The protests look set to continue as previous talks between Odinga and Ruto failed to yield results.

What happens next?

Neither side looks like it is prepared to back down.

The opposition has pledged to carry out demonstrations Thursday and Friday, as planned, while the government maintained its hardline position.

Speaking at a rally of supporters in western Kenya Wednesday, Ruto said “we must protect our country, we must protect our democracy by making sure our politics is devoid of violence, or chaos, or destruction of private business, or destruction of public property.

“We must protect this country and the police must be firm on hooligans on criminals on people who want to destroy other people’s business.”

Israeli lawmakers are set to vote on the first part of the government’s sweeping plan to weaken the power of the country’s courts on Monday, despite six months of street protests, parliamentary maneuvering, compromise talks and increasingly urgent warnings from the White House.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who left hospital on Monday morning after having been fitted with a pacemaker, has been pressing on with his plans for the judicial system overhaul even as protests against them show no signs on easing.

He and his allies call the measures “reforms” and say they are required to rebalance powers between the courts, lawmakers and the government. Opponents of the plan call it a “coup” and say it threatens to turn Israel into a dictatorship by removing the most significant checks on government actions.

Netanyahu was forced to pause the legislative process earlier this year in the face of widespread protests and international pressure.

The demonstrations continued on Monday. Huge crowds of people waving flags took over the area around the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, despite the sweltering heat. The protesters were met with police water cannons, fences and barbed wire as they attempted to block access to the building. At least 12 protesters had been arrested outside the Knesset by early afternoon on Monday, Israel Police said.

The Knesset begun discussing the first part of the reform on Sunday, with so many lawmakers requesting time to speak that the discussion was scheduled to last 26 hours.

Netanyahu continues to push the controversial package despite repeated warnings by the US President Joe Biden that rushing it through without a broad consensus amounts to an erosion of democratic institutions and could undermine US-Israel relations.

It’s unusual for the Biden administration to weigh in forcefully on another country’s internal politics, underscoring how seriously he views the current situation in Israel. The US is by far Israel’s most important ally.

Biden raised concerns directly with Netanyahu during a phone call last week and then called New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to the Oval Office to make clear his stance on the judicial overhaul.

Deep divisions

Monday’s vote is on the so-called reasonableness bill, which would strip the Supreme Court of the power to declare government decisions unreasonable. It could be voted into law in on Monday evening.

Other elements of the judicial overhaul would give the far-right coalition government more control of the appointment of judges, and would remove independent legal advisers from government ministries. Those bills have not advanced as far in the legislative process at the reasonableness bill.

The Israel Bar Association is already preparing a legal challenge to the bill, the lawyers’ group said Sunday.

Its executive, the Bar Council, is holding an emergency meeting to approve the decision to petition the Supreme Court to cancel the reasonableness law if it passes on Monday, the Bar said.

The Bar is also warning it will shut down “as an act of protest against the anti-democratic legislative process,” the statement said. That means the Bar Association would not provide professional services to its members, not that lawyers would go on strike.

The judicial overhaul plan has also prompted threats from military reservists as more than 1,000 Israel Air Force reserve officers vowed to stop volunteering if the judicial overhaul bill passes.

The chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces warned the reservists against taking that step. “No service members have the right to say that they will no longer serve,” he said in an open letter to the military on Sunday.

“I call on all reservists, even in these complex days, to separate civil protests from reporting for duty to the security services. The calls to not report for duty harm the IDF and its readiness,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Israel’s top military officer, said in the letter.

Opponents of the overhaul have been demonstrating against the plan since it was announced in January – on 29 consecutive Saturday nights and with other planned or spontaneous demonstrations on weekdays.

Thousands of Israelis opposing the judicial overhaul marched into Jerusalem Saturday night, completing a five-day walk from Tel Aviv.

A group of 150 leading Israeli companies including shopping malls, supermarkets, real estate agents and investment firms went on strike Monday over the overhaul. The Israel Business Forum called on the government “to stop the controversial unilateral legislation until further negotiations take place and greater consensus is reached among the parties.”

Netanyahu’s health issues

The final vote comes with Netanyahu facing health issues.

The Israeli leader was first admitted to hospital last Saturday. His office said at the time that he had experienced dizziness, while Israeli media reported that he fainted. He was released the following day after doctors at the Sheba Medical Center fitted him with a heart monitor.

Netanyahu was hospitalized again over the weekend and was fitted with a pacemaker early Sunday morning, according to a statement from his office. The procedure happened at Tel Hashomer Hospital and the Prime Minister was sedated during the surgery.

Roy Beinart, director of the Davidai Center for Rhythm Disturbances and Pacing at Sheba Medical Center, said Netanyahu had the heart monitor implanted because of a known conduction disorder – another name for a heart block.

Beinart said doctors had known about the condition “for many years.”

Netanyahu was hospitalized again over the weekend and was fitted with a pacemaker early Sunday morning, according to a statement from his office.

Netanyahu released a short video statement later Sunday, saying he was “doing great” after the operation. “I would like to thank the many of you who have asked how I am doing. I am doing great. Tomorrow morning I will join my colleagues in the Knesset,” Netanyahu said in the 25-second video. He was released on Monday and was headed to the Knesset for the vote.

Thunberg was charged with “the crime of disobedience to law and order” earlier this month after participating in a protest on June 19 which blocked oil tankers in part of Malmö harbor.

Prosecutors said the protest caused traffic disruption in Malmö. Greta was charged for failing to leave the scene when asked to by the police.

The court imposed a fine of approximately $144, in the form of 30 daily fines of 50 Swedish krona ($4.80), according to the Malmö City Court spokesperson.

Thunberg pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing she acted out of “necessity” in the context of a climate emergency, the spokesperson said.

Irma Kjellström, spokesperson for activist group Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, which organized the June protest, said Thunberg was one of many young people blocking oil tankers.

In January, Thunberg was detained by police during a protest in the village of Lützerath, Germany, over the expansion of a coal mine. She was released later the same day.

Max Verstappen helped Red Bull make history on Sunday as the Dutchman won the Hungarian Grand Prix with ease to secure his team a record 12th successive win.

But it wasn’t only records that were broken. During the drivers’ celebrations on the podium, the Dutchman’s trophy smashed.

Lando Norris, who finished second, popped his bottle of champagne in his usual style by bashing it on the podium.

Unfortunately, Verstappen’s porcelain trophy then trickled off the podium before smashing on the floor.

“Sorry Max,” McLaren tweeted after the incident. “We’re gonna need some glue,” Red Bull said.

Red Bull have won every race this season (11) and, unsurprisingly, lead the constructors’ championship by a handsome margin – 208 points ahead of Mercedes in second.

Including the win achieved on the final race of last season, the team surpasses McLaren’s long-standing record of 11 straight wins, set in 1988.

“It’s something the whole team has worked so hard for and it’ll mean so so much,” team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports.

Verstappen was the first to the chequered flag for the 44th time in his career. The victory, which he won by more than 30 seconds, was his seventh in a dominant season.

“For the team, 12 wins in a row is just incredible,” Verstappen said on Sky Sports.

“What we’ve been going through these last few years is incredible and hopefully we can keep this going for a long time. A day like today is just perfect.”

Verstappen looks ever more likely to successfully defend his world title. “He’s a driver totally at one with himself, at one with the car,” added Horner before describing the 25-year-old as a “sportsman at the top of his game.”

The real battle this season is now arguably for second place, with teammate Sergio Perez 99 points behind in second and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso third, a further 32 points behind Perez.

Perez was third at the Hungaroring. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth.

Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

As Ali Riley and her New Zealand team claimed a surprise victory over Norway in the opening match of the 2023 Women’s World Cup on Thursday, the Football Ferns captain could be seen sporting a white and blue armband emblazoned with the words “Unite for Inclusion.”

In contrast, Steph Catley – who captained Australia in the absence of regular skipper Sam Kerr, who was injured – was wearing a similarly colored armband that said, “Unite for Indigenous Peoples” as the Matildas battled to a 1-0 win over Ireland in Sydney.

Those expressions represent two of the eight options that captains at the showpiece event can choose from after armbands became an unlikely talking point at the men’s event in 2022.

What are the eight Women’s World Cup armbands?

The eight different armbands each carry a “specific message” according to FIFA, falling under the governing body’s “Football Unites the World” campaign and in partnership with various United Nations’ agencies and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Unite for Inclusion – in partnership with UN Human Rights

Unite for Indigenous Peoples – in partnership with UN Human Rights

Unite for Gender Equality – in partnership with UN Women

Unite for Peace – in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Unite for Education for All – in partnership with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Unite for Zero Hunger – in partnership with the UN World Food Programme

Unite for Ending Violence Against Women – in partnership with UN Women

Football is Joy, Peace, Love, Hope & Passion – in partnership with the WHO

Why did FIFA sanction these armbands?

During last year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar, a number of European captains withdrew from wearing an armband adorned with a heart striped in different colors as part of the “OneLove” campaign.

The teams involved, which included England, the Netherlands and Germany, said in a statement that FIFA had threatened on-field sanctions – such as yellow cards – for any “breaches of kit regulations.”

The idea of wearing the armband was intended to represent a stand against all forms of discrimination – including solidarity with people of different genders and sexual identities.
It is notable that none of the listed options for the women’s captains explicitly mention LGBTQ rights – instead couching the issue in “themes” of “gender equality” and “inclusion.”

How were the armband themes chosen?

To choose the themes, a release on the FIFA website describes the “Football Unites the World” campaign as a “global movement to inspire, unite and develop through football.”

FIFA said it selected the specific causes following “extensive consultation with players and participating teams” in order to “raise awareness for several important social matters.”

In a separate statement from June 30, when the armbands were announced, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Football unites the world and our global events, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, have a unique power to bring people together and provide joy, excitement, and passion.

“But football does even more than that – it can shine the spotlight on very important causes in our society.”

What has the reaction been to the armbands?

Several teams have embraced the causes highlighted by FIFA-sanctioned armbands. England captain Millie Bright said she planned to wear three different armbands for each of her team’s group stage matches.

“As a group, we felt really strongly about all the causes, and we couldn’t separate one from the other,” Bright said, according to Reuters.

“As a team, we know what we stand for, what we believe in and we also know the changes that we want to make. So regardless of an armband, we would like to think our actions and our morals represent everything that we believe in and stand for.”

Sarah Gregorius, representative for global players union FIFPRO, also supports the idea.

“You’ve got players who might feel something individually, but know because of their cultural context that that’s going to be a particularly dangerous stance to take, so it’s difficult to say, ‘This is the position on behalf of all 32 captains of all 32 national teams,’” Gregorius told Reuters.

Other forms of expression at the World Cup

While players have not been able to wear pride-colored armbands, that has not stopped them from finding other creative ways to express themselves about social issues.

New Zealander Riley’s painted nails were visible as she was interviewed after the match – one hand displaying the colors of the rainbow flag, the other displaying the colors of the trans flag – in an apparent show of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

She said: “I would love for us as captains to come together and working with FIFA to make sure that we are able to have a voice and are able to share what we believe in. But I am confident that we will find ways, no matter what, to make sure our voices are heard.”

Her colorful nails were praised across social media, “breaking the internet,” her club Angel City FC said on Instagram, alongside photos of her during the game.

“Nothing stopping Ali Riley from showing PRIDE at the World Cup this summer,” the website Women’s Sport Exchange tweeted.

Even Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner praised the New Zealand captain, commenting on Angel City’s post: “We stan (Ali Riley).”

Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

The Women’s World Cup saw a moment that will live long in the memory for 16-year-old Giulia Dragoni as she started for Italy against Argentina on Monday.

Dragoni – born on November 7, 2006 – began the Group G clash in the heart of Italy’s midfield and became the youngest player to represent Italy in the competition’s history. She is the second-youngest European to play at the tournament, according to FIFA.

Nicknamed ‘Little Messi,’ Dragoni is wearing the No. 16 shirt – corresponding to her age.

In contrast, 39-year-old Vanina Correa was in goal for Argentina – she had already made her debut for her country when Dragoni was born.

And the teenager played a key part in Italy’s opening match against Argentina; the young Barcelona player provided energy and quality in the heart of the pitch before being substituted in the 83rd minute.

Italy – quarterfinalist in 2019 – was the strongest team throughout the opening game for both sides at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, with some late quality from Cristiana Girelli proving decisive as Italy won 1-0.

The opening first half was an even affair as both Arianna Caruso and Valentina Giacinti had goals disallowed for offside, just making their respective runs fractionally too early.

After the break, with both sides not wanting to lose their opening game, chances were few and far between with the teams prioritizing the avoidance of mistakes over attacking recklessness.

Vanina Correa in the Argentina goal was called into action to make a few routine stops but the midfield stalemate was the main contest with both sides canceling each other out for the most part.

Both managers tried to change the flow of the game by providing thrust from the bench – and it was an Italy substitute who made the difference.

Girelli, the oldest player in the Azzurre squad, replaced Dragoni late in the game and just a few minutes later showed why she’s become a legend for the nation, as her looping header gave Italy a late lead.

It was a moment of quality from Girelli, scoring her 54th international goal on her 104th appearance and, more importantly, giving Italy a vital three points to begin its World Cup campaign.