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10th Jun 2019

Three of the best goals scored at the Women’s World Cup so far

Leslie Ann Horgan

Back of the net.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup kicked off on Friday, and the opening weekend of matches saw plenty of action – with VAR reviews and penalties playing their parts in the 21 goals scored.

Tournament hosts France set the benchmark with a 4-0 win over South Korea in their opening game on Friday night.

On Saturday, Spain scored two penalties to overcome South Africa, with a final result of 3-1. South Africa may not have gotten a result, but the squad certainly made a memorable first impression when they danced – literally – into the stadium for their first ever Women’s World Cup appearance. And this cracker of a goal from Thembi Kgatlana certainly had their fans dancing in the stands.

Elsewhere, on Sunday tournament debutants Scotland also notched up their first World Cup goal. Despite a strong second-half performance, they were beaten by neighbours England, who are tipped to win the competition.

And Brazil’s Cristiane provided the first hat-trick of the tournament in her team’s decisive victory over Jamaica. At 34, the Sao Paulo star is officially the oldest player – male or female – to score at a World Cup.

While all three of her goals were quality, this header for her opener makes our top picks.

Juventus star Barbara Bonansea had a good day at the office, scoring both goals in her country’s down-to-the-wire victory over Australia, but her opener was pipped in our top picks by this cracker from Germany’s Giulia Gwinn. Safe to say that the 19-year-old midfielder, who was making her competitive debut for Germany, will be dining out on this one for years.

The Women’s World Cup continues today, with all matches being broadcast free-to-air by TG4 and RTÉ, supported by the 20×20 campaign.