FIFA women’s soccer show smash hit start-off

Article posted by Coliseum, July 24^th, 2023

Image: FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ (LinkedIn)

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ has kicked-off in stunning style with a number of attendance records set on the opening day in Auckland (New Zealand) on July 20^th.

‘FIFA’ stated that New Zealand commenced the ninth edition of the tournament at the Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau with a memorable 1-0 win against the former champions Norway in front of 42,137 spectators.

Zürich (Switzerland)-based the Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) is the international governing body of association football, beach soccer and futsal. It was founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ is the ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the quadrennial international association football championship contested by the women’s national teams and organized by FIFA. It got off to a start on July 20^th and will end on August 20^th, 2023.

The Eden Park is New Zealand’s national stadium with a capacity of 50,000. Located in Central Auckland, New Zealand’s largest City, it is three kilometers Southwest of the central business district (CBD) on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and Kingsland. It opened in the year 1900.

‘FIFA’ further stated that the above figure is an all-time high for a football match in the country, eclipsing the previous mark of 37,034 set when New Zealand hosted Peru in an intercontinental play-off for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.

Australia’s hard-fought 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland was played in front of 75,784 spectators at the 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia, Sydney/Wangal, easily surpassing the previous mark (50,629) for a Matildas’ home match set against France just six days ago.

The Stadium Australia attendance was also the third highest at a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ – and the highest for 24 years – behind matchdays at Pasadena’s (California) 89,702-capacity Rose Bowl Stadium and New York/New Jersey’s 80,242-capacity Giants Stadium during the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ hosted by the United States.

The cumulative attendance of 117,921 was the highest for an opening matchday at two different venues.

A ‘LinkedIn post by FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™’ stated “Truly #BeyondGreatness on and off the pitch, with a fantastic Opening Ceremony packed with colour and culture setting the scene for our opening matches which did not disappoint.”

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