Host France off to a flying start at Women's World Cup
- Sports
- Compiled from wire services
- Published Date: 10:07 | 08 June 2019
- Modified Date: 10:13 | 08 June 2019
France began the Women's World Cup the way it ended last year's men's tournament: with an emphatic victory.
Wendie Renard, a 6-foot-2 the tallest player in the tournament, scored a pair of headers off corner kicks, and Les Bleus overwhelmed South Korea 4-0 Friday night in a gala World Cup opener.
Eugenie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry also scored on a cool, windy night at Parc des Princes, the home of Paris Saint-Germain.
French pop star Jain provided the pre-game entertainment for the sellout crowd of 45,261 fans. The display was watched by France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, who were in the crowd alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Les Bleues are among the favorites to win the trophy on home soil. Ranked fourth in the world, the French have underperformed at recent major tournaments, losing in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup, Euro 2017 and the last Olympics.
France is vying to become the first nation to hold both the men's and women's World Cup titles at the same time.
Norway take on Nigeria in the other Group A game in Reims on Saturday.