Paris, June 11 -- At the final whistle of their Women's World Cup opener, Argentina's players dropped to their knees as if they'd won the entire tournament.

They didn't even win the game.

But for the first time ever, they didn't lose, either.

Argentina played to a 0-0 draw against Japan to earn its first ever point at the World Cup. Argentina lost its previous six World Cup matches in 2003 and 2007, and missed the 2011 and 2015 tournaments.

For a nation that loves the game and worships its globally successful men's team, the draw against Japan can be as good as a win. Argentina had been outscored 33-2 in six previous World Cup games.

"I think we can really inspire people a lot," said midfielder Estefania Banini. "We can also start a ...