PARIS — In almost every observable way, on every patch of the turf and in every minute of the opening match of the Women’s World Cup on Friday night, the French were too much for the South Koreans.

They were more skilled, more purposeful, more poised, carving squiggly lines through the defense with cadenced passing and braiding movement. They jumped higher and ran faster around the wet, windswept field at the Parc des Princes.

And in the end, they had far more fun, laughing and dancing as a group after each of their goals on the way to a comprehensive 4-0 victory in front of a festive crowd of 45,261.

A long tournament lies ahead, but France’s team — ranked No. 4 in the world and widely considered a front-runner to win the trophy on its home soil — took a big, convincing step forward with a performance that should act as a warning signal to all the other countries that begin play in the coming days.