But with the veteran attacker on the bench, as Pia Sundhage looks to manage her star’s minutes for the tournament, Brazil needed their other attacking outlets to step up. It would be Ary Borges, on her World Cup debut, who would benefit most from Sundhage’s tactical set-up and steal the show from Brazil’s spiritual leader at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Right from the off, Panama had no response to Brazil’s 4-2-2-2 system, with the movement of Ary Borges and Adriana causing significant issues. Brazil’s cross-heavy approach, particularly from the left-hand side, saw it astonishingly led to all four of their goals and threatened more on several other occasions.

Delving deeper into the tactical side, Borges and Adriana would often take up wider starting positions before drifting inside as attacking midfielders in the half-spaces while leaving space for fullbacks Antonia and Tamires to bomb on and threaten Panama’s last line with forward runs. Tamires certainly took the initiative to push forward throughout, and her overlapping run and cross found Borges for Brazil’s second in the 39th minute.

Intriguingly, both of Borges’ two first-half goals and then her third in the second period, came from crosses from the left, as Panama didn’t take the hint in the 19th minute when the midfielder met a Debinha cross a found the bottom right corner with a header.

But away from the tactical aspect, Brazil seemed keen to outline their credentials as a World Cup contender, with an immaculate ball speed and energy the Panamanians could not match in the early stages. Further to that was a physical side you wouldn’t normally associate with Brazil’s national teams. Sundhage’s side gave no quarter regarding 50/50 challenges in the first period. One would assume such assertiveness comes from a willingness to ensure Marta, should this be her last World Cup, finally gets her hands on the ultimate prize.

But for Borges, a teammate of Matilda Alex Chidiac at Racing Louisville FC in the United States, tonight was her moment. You only needed to see her emotional celebration after the first goal, where she dropped to her knees and started crying, to understand the gravity of scoring at a World Cup. By the time she completed her debut hat trick in the 70th minute, Borges was floating around as if these performances were second nature.

She should also thank a host of her teammates for their exceptional service and contribution, allowing the 23-year-old to flourish. As mentioned above, Debinha set up the first goal and again played a significant part in Brazil’s third, as she lofted an inch-perfect cross into Borges’ feet after a swift one-two down the left-hand side. Borges, six yards out and in a position where most would blaze away and lose their composure, steadied and sumptuously rolled the ball backwards to the oncoming Bia Zaneratto, who only had to smash the ball into the roof of the net.

Given the ageing side she was debuting in, it was extraordinary how easily Borges seemed to find life on the World Cup stage. Tamires was also superb, although she was allowed free roam to do whatever she pleased in an attacking sense. It should be noted Brazil will face more challenging opposition than Panama. Ignacio Quintana’s side was incredibly shaky from the off, being easily pulled out of their 5-4-1 shape. It was noticeable how their centre-backs were caught stepping out of the backline, leaving gaps behind. Additionally, their two defensive midfielders were unsure who they needed to mark out of Brazil’s midfielders, whether they pick up one of the pivots in Luana or Kerolin or one of the attacking midfielders in Borges or Adriana.

In possession, Quintana’s side didn’t muster their first genuine attempt until the 56th minute, as Carina Baltrip-Reyes’ strike was easily saved by another World Cup debutant in Brazil’s goalkeeper Leticia.

When taking stock, this night truly belonged to Brazil, specifically Ary Borges. The result never seemed in doubt from the pre-game scenes outside the Entertainment Centre, which saw hundreds of Brazilian fans bringing the World Cup atmosphere to the City of Churches.

On that note, Australian football fans may love Coopers Stadium. But its tight-knit, cauldron-like atmosphere was taken to another level by Brazilian fans. There was a tifo dedicated to the legendary Marta displayed before kick-off. Every time fans of the Seleção were asked to make noise by the stadium’s PA, even an hour before kick-off, it felt like you could hear 10,000 of them.

When Marta eventually did come on in the 73rd minute, the noise reached new heights. The fanfare following this star of the women’s game over the next month will be incredible to witness, mainly if the 37-year-old plays a significant role or wins the trophy that has long eluded her.

It was perhaps fitting that Marta, a staple of the ageing generation seeing this tournament as their last chance for silverware, replaced Borges, a beacon of light, who, after her stunning hat-trick, will be paving the way for Brazil’s next generation of female footballers.

Brazil made a statement tonight. Whether it be Marta, Borges, or whoever else, the generation of 2023 seems aligned in their goal to bring the Women’s World Cup back to the country for the first time.