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Italy and Argentina will face off in the opening match of Group G of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on Monday at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.
Neither Italy nor Argentina are heavyweights in the women’s international football circuit, with Italy failing to even make an appearance in the World Cup finals between 2003 and 2015 and Argentina are yet to win a World Cup match.
However, with Sweden clear favourites to top Group G, but with WAFCON champions South Africa rounding out the group, both the Azzurre and La Albiceleste know a place in the round of 16 is up for grabs.
Argentina's chances of following in the footsteps of the men's team who were crowned World Champions last year look slim, given that they have never advanced past the group stage in any previous World Cup, but their confidence is high coming into the tournament on the back of a seven-game winning streak.
They earned their spot at the 2023 finals by defeating Paraguay 3-1 in the third-place play-off at the 2022 Copa America Femenina. Since then, they have been on a roll, beating Venezuela and New Zealand twice, as well as Chile and Peru, scoring 18 goals while conceding just two.
As for Italy, they are hoping to build on a quarter-final finish at the 2019 World Cup, which was the first time they qualified for the finals since 1999.
However, manager Milena Bertolini is under a lot of pressure after Azzurre's poor performance in the 2022 European Championships, where they finished bottom of their group with only one point.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Italy vs Argentina kick-off time
| Date: | July 24, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 7 am BST/2 am EDT |
| Venue: | Eden Park |
The Group G opener between Italy and Argentina will be played at Eden Park, on Monday, July 24, 2023, with kick-off scheduled for 7 am BST/2 am EDT.
How to watch Italy vs Argentina online - TV channels & live streams
The Italy vs Argentina Women's World Cup 2023 fixture will be shown live on ITV1 and STV on TV and available to stream online on ITVX and STV Player. Match highlights will be shown after the full-time whistle and live updates can be accessed here on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Italy team news
Veteran Juventus defender Sara Gama's controversial omission from Bertolini's Italy squad comes as a shock, while Martina Rosucci has also been ruled out of the tournament due to an ACL injury she picked up in early 2023.
Le Azzurre’s strength very much lies in the attack, spearheaded by captain Cristiana Girelli, flanked by Valentina Giacinti and Barbara Bonansea. Playmaker Giugliano boasts the rare vision to find passing lanes and set up dynamic attackers. Giacinti scored 13 goals to help Roma secure their first Serie A title last season and will be keen to carry her fine form to the tournament.
16-year-old midfielder Giulia Dragoni has been tipped to make her senior international debut in this match.
Italy Women possible XI: Durante; Bartoli, Lenzini, Linari, Boattin; Caruso, Giugliano, Greggi; Cantore, Serturini, Giacinti.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Baldi, Durante, Giuliani |
| Defenders: | Bartoli, Boattin, Guglielmo, Lenzini, Linari, Orsi, Salvai |
| Midfielders: | Caruso, Cernoia, Dragoni, Giugliano, Greggi, Severini |
| Forwards: | Beccari, Bonansea, Cantore, Giacinti, Girelli, Glionna, Serturini |
Argentina team news
There are no reported fresh injury concerns for German Portonova's Argentina.
Palmeiras midfielder Yamila Rodriguez, who was Argentina’s top scorer in the 2022 Copa America Femenina, will serve as La Albiceleste's main goal-scoring threat.
Foward Mariana Larroquette recently joined the National Women's Soccer League side Orlando Pride, and she will look to impress on Sunday. The 30-year-old is expected to feature in a front-three alongside Florencia Bonsegundo and Estefania Banini, who ply their trade in Spain.
Argentina Women possible XI: Correa; Braun, Mayorga, Cometti, Stabile; Rodriguez, Benitez, Ippolito; Bonsegundo, Banini, Larroquette.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Correa, Esponda, A. Chaves |
| Defenders: | Braun, Mayorga, Cometti, E. Stabile, Cruz, G. Chavez |
| Midfielders: | Nunez, Benitez, Falfan, Santana, Banini, Ippolito, Ares |
| Forwards: | Lonigro, Rodriguez, Gramaglia, Bonsegundo, Singarella, Larroquette |
Head-to-Head Record
These two sides have never played against each other. This will be the first time they will face each other.