Spain kicks off the Women's Football World Cup with a thrashing of Costa Rica

The Spanish national team, one of the pre-tournament favorites, made its debut in the Women's World Cup with a resounding three-nil victory over Costa Rica, which could do little to compete on the turf of Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand.

The Iberians needed only a few minutes to secure the commitment, a true monologue where they made 46 shots compared to just one from the Central Americans.

The rain, the wind, and the cold teamed up to complicate the engines' start, but after Valeria del Campo's own goal (21'), Aitana Bonmatí (23') and Esther González (27') put the final numbers on the scoreboard.

The Catalan Bonmatí, player of FC Barcelona, was named MVP of the match.

Spain did not include two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas in the starting lineup, still lacking competitive rhythm after a season of physical issues. Coach Jorge Vilda chose to bring her on in the second half, and the Barcelona player was active and showcased some moments of quality.

"The plan has been fulfilled," Vilda said at the end of the match. "We knew that Costa Rica would be defensive and pack players very close to the goal, so we needed to use the wings. We created chances, but the result does not reflect what was seen on the field. In these four days, we will recover and prepare for the next match."

Spaniards and Costa Ricans are located in group C alongside Zambia and Japan. 

Today will also see the premiere of the United States, the monarch of the last two editions of the event, facing off against Vietnam.

The World Cup is hosted by Australia and New Zealand and will conclude on August 20. The top two teams from the eight qualifying groups will advance to the round of 16. In addition to Spain and the United States, England, Germany, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and France are also strong contenders for the throne.