‘This tournament is creating history’: Women’s World Cup ticket sales smash FIFA record

Ticket sales for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand have set a new benchmark, surpassing the 1.5 million target set four years ago in France to become the most attended edition of the tournament in history.

The ticket that broke the record was sold on Sunday night to Maria Strong, an Auckland woman who was organising a family outing for the Italy versus Argentina match at Eden Park on Monday to celebrate her son’s 12th birthday.

Friends Isla, Amelia and Amelia from North Turramurra have fun as fans arrive for the opening FIFA Women’s World Cup match between Australia and Ireland.Credit: Edwina Pickles

The new milestone has been set just five days into the World Cup and is a ringing endorsement for the way the public on both sides of the Tasman have embraced the first senior FIFA tournament brought to this part of the world.

The majority of the sales have been made in Australia, where over 1.1 million tickets have been bought, reflecting the newfound obsession with the Matildas and women’s football more broadly.

This World Cup is the first since the expansion from 24 to 32 teams, and with an extra 12 matches subsequently scheduled – coupled with the boom in the women’s game at club level since France 2019 – an uptick in total attendance was expected.

However, the average crowd of 30,326 from the 12 games played before Monday is a 72 per cent increase from the average of 21,756 four years ago, showing that regardless of the change, the tournament is being more warmly and widely embraced than previous World Cups.

“This tournament is creating history and we are delighted as a host nation,” said Football Australia chief executive James Johnson.

FIFA secretary-general Fatma Samoura with Football Australia chief James Johnson.Credit: Getty

“This heightened interest in our national iconic brands is also reflected in record Matildas merchandise sales online and in retail stores. These numbers reflect the growing strength and appeal of the women’s game, particularly the Matildas, and it’s a testament to the incredible athletes who are providing us with such thrilling football.

“The Australian public has demonstrated how much they love the game and the Matildas and have come out in numbers at all matches across the country, and we thank them for their exceptional support.”

Tickets for all Matildas matches have been effectively sold out for months. However, few would have predicted the level of demand for games involving other nations, with almost 40,000 people packing into Sydney’s Allianz Stadium for France’s 0-0 draw with Jamaica.

Even with interest levels comparatively lower in New Zealand, forcing FIFA into giving away some tickets, the approximately 300,000 sold so far for the Women’s World Cup is double that of the entire women’s Rugby World Cup held there two years ago.

More than 117,000 fans have flocked to FIFA’s various fan festival sites over the tournament’s first four days, Football Australia says, while broadcast numbers also underline the unprecedented interest levels.

Nike, Football Australia’s apparel sponsor, has also revealed the Matildas sold more jerseys before the Women’s World Cup had started than the Socceroos did during and since the men’s World Cup in Qatar.

These figures will provide a further boost to Australia and New Zealand’s ambitions to host future FIFA tournaments.

Johnson and New Zealand Football chair Johanna Wood told this masthead last month that joint bids for a men’s World Cup, possibly as soon as 2024, as well as FIFA’s new Club World Cup and other competitions, would be discussed at the end of the Women’s World Cup.

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