An accurate toe-poke by forward Adriana Leon coupled with a touch of fortune allowed Canada to secure a 2-1 victory against Ireland on Wednesday, their first of this year's Women's World Cup, in wet and windy conditions at Perth Oval.

Spain underlined their credentials as pre-tournament favourites when they became one of the first teams to seal qualification for the Women's World Cup knockouts with a 5-0 win over debutants Zambia in their Group C encounter on Wednesday.

The Philippines claimed a historic first World Cup win on Tuesday as they stunned co-hosts New Zealand 1-0 thanks to a first-half Sarina Bolden header.

The 23-year-old burst on the scene as Brazil opened their Women's World Cup campaign with a 4-0 thumping of Panama in Adelaide, scoring three goals and setting up the other

Talismanic captain Alexandra Popp scored a brace as Germany launched their bid for a third Women's World Cup title with a 6-0 demolition of debutants Morocco on Monday.

An Australian side missing injured superstar Sam Kerr made a winning start to their home Women's World Cup on Thursday with a nervy 1-0 victory over debutants Ireland in front of a pulsating 75,000-strong Sydney crowd.

It was the country's first-ever victory at the tournament and came in front of more than 42,000 in Auckland, the biggest crowd in New Zealand football history.