Captain Wendie Renard struck a late winner as France kickstarted their Women’s World Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Brazil in a heavyweight Group F clash in Brisbane on Saturday.

After a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Jamaica in their opening game, France defied the Brazilian team and most of the 49,378 crowd to secure three vital points ahead of their final group match against tournament debutants Panama.

The French, who controlled much of the game, took an early lead through veteran striker Eugenie Le Sommer.

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