On June 7th in Paris, France, one of the most important events in women’s soccer began: the 2019 FIFA World Cup. This is a global soccer tournament where the 24 best women’s soccer teams around the world gather together to compete for the title of World Cup Champion. This year the tournament is being hosted in France. The World Cup only takes place every 4 years.

The tournament began with the opening match between France and the Korea Republic, with France winning 4-0. For the beginning stages of the tournament, teams aren’t eliminated if they lose, but teams who win gain points and advance in the rankings. On June 20th the final 16 teams will be selected from these rankings, so it is important for teams to do well in the early stages of the tournament.

The United States did just that for their opening match against Thailand. In this match the United States team showcased why FIFA ranked them first for women’s soccer. They won the match 13-0, a record-setting score. Coach Jill Ellis described the experience of this game saying “It’s having players feeling good about the game. It is about building momentum, getting that first game under your belt”.This marks the first time a team has scored 13 points in a World Cup game. It is also the largest margin of victory for any match in the men’s and women’s World Cup. Another record was tied during this game: One of the US team’s most popular forwards, Alex Morgan, scored 5 goals, tying the record with former team member, Michelle Akers, for the most goals scored in one World Cup game.

This game was important for the United States team because they have a lot to prove. They are the defending champions from the 2015 FIFA World Cup and therefore have a title to defend, as well as a record to break. If they win this World Cup, the US will be the first team to win two World Cups in a row. It will also be their 5th World Cup title. This feat will not come easily, though. Plenty of teams are looking to take down the US team during this tournament, including France and Germany.

Some of its fiercest competition may be the host team France. France has a very strong well-balanced team and are ranked fourth in the world. Sports writer Dalton Renshaw explained how “if it’s not England as the most balanced team in the world, France should be right there for consideration”. They played an impressive first match, defeating South Korea 4-0 and going on to defeat Norway. Also, the home-field advantage may just put them over the edge.

Another US challenger is Germany, the second-best team in the world based on FIFA’s rankings.  Germany has won both its matches against skilled opponents, China and Spain. If the United States is to win this tournament, they must continue their forward momentum, but not become over confident. The United States’ continued to show dominance in their match against Chile today. Winning 3-0 and guaranteeing them a spot in the top 16. The team still has a long way to go for victory, though. Make sure to continue to watch the World Cup on Fox Sports!