opening match
Tournament's initial game
The opening match is the first game or contest in a tournament, series, or season.
It sets the stage for competition to follow and often carries symbolic weight beyond its impact on standings: England won their opening match against Iran 6-2.
The phrase appears most commonly in football, cricket, rugby, and tennis contexts.
- kickoffOpening play in football
- debutFirst public appearance
- first gameInitial match played
- curtain raiserShort introductory performance
- premiereFirst public performance
inaugural · tournament · first leg · stadium · sold out crowd · whistle · starting lineup · rivals · anticipation · lineup · warm-up · pitch · crowd · chants · national anthems · starting eleven · fixtures · knockout
- International SoccerFIFA World Cup, World Cup, UEFA Euro, Copa America, Champions League
- wrestlingbody slam, wrestlers, takedown, pinfall, suplex
- World CupBrazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, France
- preliminarieswarmup, warm-up, qualifying exam, intro, preface
- FIFA Club World CupReal Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Corinthians
opening matchchampionship match
Contest deciding the victor
final · grand final · title match · championship game · cup final
opening, match, open, opens, opened, opener, openers, openly, openness