Just Women’s Sports is here with your daily World Cup Digest, breaking down all of the biggest storylines from each day of action in Australia and New Zealand.

Today’s top World Cup news: Germany and Brazil impress with emphatic wins

Despite some surprising results and close calls over the first few days, Germany and Brazil looked every bit the favorites in their opening wins.

An Ary Borges hat trick for Brazil and Alexandra Popp brace for Germany headlined the final day of the first round of group-stage games.

Popp, Germany’s captain, opened the scoring for her team, then netted another just before the half. Klara Bühl and Lea Schüller also found the back of the next for Germany, which also benefited from two own goals by Morocco in a 6-0 win.

Germany managed the lopsided scoreline even without star player Lena Oberdorf, who missed the match with a thigh strain. The 21-year-old should be back soon, but her team proved it can do just fine without her. Germany next will face Colombia, which is gearing up to play its opening match against South Korea.

Meanwhile, Brazil put on a clinic against Panama, with Ary Borges netting a hat trick in her World Cup debut. She also added an assist on a goal by Bia Zaneratto. Brazil looked every bit a World Cup contender, with style and chemistry that had not yet been seen in this year’s tournament.

Brazil dominated possession, holding the ball for 73% of the match, and posted 10 shots on goal compared to two for Panama. The Seleçãos next will play France and undoubtedly will enter as the favorite.

Today’s top highlight: Ary Borges gives up hat trick

While Borges later would net the first hat trick of this year’s World Cup, she gave up her first opportunity, instead passing the ball to teammate Bia Zaneratto. Still, the backheel flick from the Racing Louisville midfielder was a highlight in and of itself.

Borges later secured the hat trick with a nutmeg header, which went between the goalkeeper’s legs. What a coming out party for the 23-year-old at the World Cup.

That heel flick backwards from @_aryborges 🔥pic.twitter.com/AGeTNxR7lN

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 24, 2023

Today’s results:

• Italy 1, Argentina 0
• Germany 6, Morocco 0
• Brazil 4, Panama 0
• Colombia vs. South Korea — 10 p.m. ET

More World Cup news to know:

• FIFA has sold 1.5 million tickets for the 2023 World Cup, surpassing its target just five days into the tournament and setting a new Women’s World Cup record.
• France’s Wendie Renard is set to undergo an MRI for a calf injury.
• Haitian defender Jennyfer Limage became the first player in this year’s World Cup to tear her ACL, sustaining the injury in Haiti’s 1-0 loss to England.

Viewership stats from March Madness are in, with the first two rounds of the 2024/25 NCAA women’s basketball tournament ranking as ESPN’s second most-watched on record across all platforms.

Trailing only 2024’s Caitlin Clark-fueled historic postseason, 2025’s slate of 32 first-round games averaged a 43% increase over 2023's edition, with ABC enjoying its second-highest first-round viewership ever.

ABC's first-round average of 1 million fans came in part because 1.1 million tuned into No. 2-seed UConn's 103-34 thrashing of No. 15-seed Arkansas State last Saturday, securing the network it's third-highest single-game first-round viewership on record.

In a non-championship round that saw the highest average margin of victory in March Madness history — a differential well over 26 points — last weekend's first round also gave ESPN its second-best viewership stats since 2008.

March Madness second round scores even higher

As the competition's temperature rose in last weekend's second round, so too did viewership, with ESPN's platforms snagging a 60% overall boost over the same round in 2023, earning an average of nearly 1 million viewers across the 16 games.

Yet again, the Huskies led the charge, with UConn's 91-57 blowout win over No. 10-seed South Dakota State drawing an average of 1.7 million fans to ESPN on Monday night — an audience large enough to rank as the fifth most-viewed second-round game in history.

Joining UConn's victory in the NCAA tournament's Top 10 most-watched second-round games are No. 1-seed South Carolina's 64-53 Sunday win over No. 9-seed Indiana and No. 1-seed USC's 96-59 defeat of No. 9-seed Mississippi State on Monday.

The defending national champion Gamecocks' second March Madness matchup jumped into that elite echelon by averaging 1.4 million viewers on ABC, with the Trojans's heartbreaking yet heroic win garnering 1.3 million average fans on ESPN.

All in all, while last year’s historic peaks won’t be easy to replicate, this year’s numbers indicate consistent year-after-year growth across a wider variety of teams — signaling that this season’s strength lies in its breadth of star power, as both superstars and unique storylines compete in every bracket quadrant.

Boston’s incoming NWSL club has a new name, with the 2026 expansion side rebranding to Boston Legacy FC on Wednesday in a pivot from last October’s initial controversy-sparking "BOS Nation" rollout.

The NWSL approved Boston’s expansion bid to become its 15th team in September 2023, returning the league to New England after the 2018 folding of the Boston Breakers.

In a press release, the team said it arrived at Boston Legacy FC after "five months of fan listening, research, and consultation," which began by surveying 1,500 fans and brand professionals before whittling the initial list of 500 suggested names down to 14 contenders.

While some cuts were clear due to trademarks or other legal barriers, other names were discarded as they did not align with the club's core values, including "a commitment to fierce competition with the ambition to establish a generational legacy of winning" as well as "the humility to understand that you make history through the grit of day by hardworking day, mile by unrelenting mile."

Other guiding criteria the team adhered to throughout the process included avoiding "colonial, Revolutionary War, and nautical themes" and choosing a timeless name that would not require any explanation.

Ultimately, the team's mission centers around creating "a club where everyone should feel welcome, where we embrace the whole city, where we build something bigger than ourselves."

After the organization's extensive research and consulting process, Boston Legacy FC won out as the "clear winner in every single category by a statistically significant margin."

Rebrand is the first step in Boston's NWSL plan

In addition to Wednesday's name announcement, Boston's NWSL club plans to release more branding, including a team crest, in the coming months.

Calling the new name "just the beginning," Boston Legacy FC majority owner Jennifer Epstein said in a statement that "it's what we build together, through dedication, commitment, and grit, that will give [the club] life."

"I look forward to watching the Boston Legacy build a club for a new generation while honoring those who helped build the game," said USWNT icon, former Boston Breaker attacker, and team brand advisor Kristine Lilly. "It is an exciting time for women’s soccer and I look forward to cheering on the Boston Legacy."

The 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals will be decided over the next two days, as the second leg of the home-and-away quarterfinals cuts Europe’s surviving eight teams down to four.

Each of the first-leg victors boasts a multi-goal advantage over their opponents, with three-time UWCL winners — and defending champs — Barcelona leading the way after taking a 4-1 victory from German side Wolfsburg.

Eight-time champions Lyon also have a Bundesliga club on the ropes thanks to a 2-0 first-leg win over Bayern Munich.

Perennial winners aside, the knockout round’s most anticipated storylines belong to the three remaining English clubs: Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

While Chelsea FC is enjoying an eight-point lead on the WSL table, they're position in UWCL play is far more perilous. Earlier this month, former former Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema boosted City over the Blues with a brace in the pair's first quarterfinal meeting.

Thursday will see the second all-WSL clash of the Champions League quarters, as the match also marks an unusual fourth consecutive meeting between the two teams, with Chelsea winning the League Cup final earlier this month as well as the pair's Sunday WSL meeting — both by 2-1 scorelines.

Like the Blues, Arsenal’s Champions League campaign is similarly down to the wire, as the Gunners attempt to climb out of a 2-0 hole against Real Madrid on Wednesday. This time, however, Arsenal will hold a home-pitch advantage, hosting Las Blancas at the iconic Emirates Stadium — a significant boost after a first-leg match marred by particularly slippery playing conditions.

How to watch the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals

The second and final leg of the UWCL quarterfinals kicks off on Wednesday, with Lyon hosting Bayern Munich at 1:45 PM ET before Real Madrid visits Arsenal at 4 PM ET.

Thursday will determine the last two semifinalists, as Barcelona takes on Wolfsburg at 1:45 PM ET before the all-WSL face-off between Chelsea and Manchester City begins at 4 PM ET.

All Champions League matches will stream live on DAZN.

UConn guard Azzi Fudd is again delaying her WNBA aspirations to return to the Huskies for the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season, the 22-year-old announced in a social media post on Tuesday — just one day after the No. 2-seed squad booked their Sweet 16 spot in this year's March Madness tournament.

In an interview with ESPN, Fudd explained that her decision to declare for the 2026 WNBA Draft and exhaust her NCAA eligibility will allow her to "work on everything I need to work on" before turning pro.

Fudd also noted that her choice became clear after UConn head coach Geno Auriemma told her that while he supports whatever decision she makes, she has yet to max out at the collegiate level.

"He [told me], 'I would say 10 games, maybe, you've played to your full potential of who Azzi Fudd really is,'" Fudd recounts. "'You wouldn't do yourself justice leaving. You would leave here not doing what you could in a UConn uniform.' I was like, 'Yeah, he has a point.'"

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Already a standout, Fudd chases greatness

Entering the NCAA as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, Fudd has been a highly-touted professional prospect for years, with the Husky originally expected to be chosen in the first round of next month's 2025 WNBA Draft.

However, Fudd's college career has been dampened by injury, with the talented shooter playing in just 72 games across her four years at UConn.

Making her competitive return in November after suffering an ACL and meniscus tear one year prior, Fudd hit her stride, earning a career-high 30 appearances for the Huskies this season — 26 of them as a starter.

A season-high 28-point performance in UConn's 87-58 February beatdown of defending national champs South Carolina further boosted Fudd's momentum, with the guard putting up a March Madness career-high 27 points in UConn's first-round victory over No. 15-seed Arkansas State on Saturday.

After adding another 17 points in the Huskies' second-round win over No. 10-seed South Dakota State on Monday, Fudd's 16.4 postseason points per game trails only iconic teammate Paige Bueckers' scoring rate on the UConn stat sheet.

It's those top-tier performances that Fudd will be chasing next season, hoping to add some lengthy consistency and confidence to her basketball resume.

"Having someone of Azzi's ability and the way she can just control a game, she just hasn't had an opportunity, at this point, to fully show who she is, what she can do, what impact she can have on our program and on college basketball," Auriemma told ESPN. "Can we get a full year out of that? I'm as excited as anybody, our fans, anybody to see what can happen."

Delaying WNBA debuts could result in higher rookie salaries

Though Fudd is adamant that her decision to play one more year in college is purely based in on-court considerations, there are also other major financial implications at play.

With the WNBPA currently negotiating a new CBA set to begin in the 2026 WNBA season, rookies who enter under those new terms will likely begin their professional careers at a higher salary than the $78,831 that this April's No. 1 draft pick will earn.

Even Auriemma acknowledged the potential financial benefits Fudd would reap by staying in Storrs.

"If [Fudd] stays one more year, she'll make more money next year when she goes into the draft because they have a new collective bargaining agreement coming up that should pay them more money than if she goes at the end of this year," Auriemma told reporters earlier this month.

Even more, an extra year at the NCAA level will allow Fudd to grow her already flush NIL portfolio, which includes deals with brands like Bose, Chipotle, Buick, and DoorDash.

With the business side of basketball booming, top college players are recognizing the long-term impacts of kicking off their pro careers with stacked athletic and brand-building resumes — and Fudd just bought herself another year to raise her WNBA and financial stock.