Germany's captain Alexandra Popp made a strong comeback on the international stage as she drove her side to a 6-0 victory over Morocco in FIFA Women's World Cup.
The experienced striker headed to goals in the first half to lead her team's way to register their biggest win of the tournament to date.
Popp, who missed Euros, said she is very excited to start off the mega event on a high note.
"For me, personally I’m happy that I’ve been healthy this year, that I can be here with my team and support them," she told reporters after the Morocco mauling.
"That to me is incredibly important and gives me strength.
"It was great to start this way ... Of course, not everything went optimally, that would be too much to ask of the first match.
"But how we played today, that gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the tournament."
Germany will hope that Popp can go the distance at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, as they chase a third title after back-to-back triumphs in 2003 and 2007.
World number 72 Morocco, the first Arab team to play at the tournament, were hopelessly outgunned by their second-ranked opponents and blew out the score with two own goals in the second half.
But Germany's complete performance was a warning to heavyweight rivals like the United States and England.