The record books have been rewritten after a crowd of 68,781 turned out to watch hosts England edge a 1-0 win against Austria in the opening game of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Women’s EURO 2022.
The above fixture was held at the 74,140-capacity Old Trafford in Greater Manchester, England (UK), the home of the Premier League team Manchester United F.C.
‘UEFA’ stated that the attendance is the highest in the finals history, elevating the mark of 41,301 set when Germany beat Norway in the 2013 final in Sweden.
‘UEFA’ further stated that the previous record for a group game was 29,092: England’s 3-2 victory over Finland at the nearby 55,097-capacity City of Manchester Stadium in 2005.
The 2022 UEFA European Women’s Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 or simply WEURO 2022, is the 13th edition of the UEFA Women’s Championship, the quadrennial international football championship organized by UEFA for the women’s national teams of Europe, with the first edition being held in 1984. It is being held from July 6th through July 31st.
Nyon (Switzerland)-based the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer in Europe as well as Israel in Asia and the Euroasian transcontinental countries of Russia, Turkey, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. UEFA consists of 55 national association members. Because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FIFA and UEFA has suspended all Russian national representative teams and club teams from any FIFA and UEFA competitions.
Highest attendances at Women’s EURO games:
- 68,781: England 1-0 Austria (Group Stage, 06/07/2022 – Old Trafford, Trafford);
- 41,301: Germany 1-0 Norway (Final, 28/07/2013 – the 50,000-capacity Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden);
- 29,092: England 3-2 Finland (Group Stage, 05/06/2005 – City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, UK);
- 28,182: Netherlands 4-2 Denmark (Final, 06/08/2017 – the 30,205-capacity De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands);
- 27,093: Netherlands 3-0 England (Semi-Final, 03/08/2017 – the 30,205-capacity De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands);
- 25,694: England 0-1 Sweden (Group Stage, 11/06/2005 – the 31,367-capacity Ewood Park, Blackburn, England, UK);
- 21,731: Netherlands 1-0 Norway (Group Stage, 16/07/2017 – the 23,750-capacity Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht, Netherlands);
- 21,105: Germany 3-1 Norway (Final, 19/06/2005 – the 31,367-capacity Ewood Park, Blackburn, England, UK);
- 21,000: West Germany 4-1 Norway (Final, 02/07/1989- the 16,100-capacity Bremer Brücke, Osnabrück, Germany); and
- 18,000: Germany 1-0 Sweden (Final, 07/07/2001 – the 19,500-capacity Donaustadion, Ulm, Germany).
Highest attendances in each Women’s EURO Round
Qualifying
- 24,835: France 1-0 Greece (03/06/2016 –the 29,778-capacity Roazhon Park, Rennes, France)
Group Stage
- 68,781: England 1-0 Austria (Group Stage, 06/07/2022 – Old Trafford, Trafford, UK)
Group Stage: Not involving hosts
- 10,346: Germany 0-1 Norway (17/07/2013 –the 12,150-capacity Kalmar Arena, Kalmar, Sweden)
Quarter-finals
- 11,106: Netherlands 2-0 Sweden (29/07/2017 – the 12,600-capacity Stadion De Vijverberg, Doetinchem, Netherlands)
Quarter-finals: Not involving hosts
- 10,435: Norway 3-1 Spain (22/07/2013 – the 12,150-capacity Kalmar Arena, Kalmar, Sweden)
Semi-finals
- 27,093: Netherlands 3-0 England (03/08/2017 – the 30,205-capacity De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands)
Semi-finals: Not involving hosts
- 10,184: Denmark 0-0aet, 3-0pens Austria (03/08/2017 – the 19,000-capacity Rat Verlegh Stadium, Breda, Netherlands)
Final
- 41,301: Germany 1-0 Norway (28/07/2013 – the 50,000-capacity Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden)
Best attended Women’s EURO final tournaments
Total
247,041 (31 games): Netherlands 2017
216,888 (25 games): Sweden 2013
Average per game*
8,875 (4 games): West Germany 1989
8,676 (25 games): Sweden 2013
*Completed tournaments
Highest-attended UEFA women’s football games
- 91,648: Futbol Club Barcelona Femení (Spain) 5-1 VfL Wolfsburg (women) (Germany) (UEFA Women’s Champions League Semi-Final first leg, 22/04/2022 – the 99,354-capacity Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain);
- 91,553: Futbol Club Barcelona Femení (Spain) 5-2 Real Madrid Femenino (Spain) (UEFA Women’s Champions League Quarter-Final second leg, 30/03/2022 – the 99,354-capacity Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain);
- 68,781: England 1-0 Austria (Group Stage, 06/07/2022 – Old Trafford, Trafford, UK);
- 50,212: Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (France) 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt (women) (Germany) (UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, 17/05/2012 – the 69,250-capacity Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany);
- 43,255: Paris Saint-Germain Féminine (France) 1-2 Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (France) (UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final second leg, 30/04/2022 – the 47,929-capacity Parc des Princes, Paris, France);
- 41,301: Germany 1-0 Norway (UEFA Women’s EURO final, 28/07/2013 – the 50,000-capacity Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden);
- 32,257: Futbol Club Barcelona Femení (Spain) 1-3 Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (France) (UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, 21/05/2022 – the 41,507-capacity Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy);
- 30,328: Netherlands 7-0 Northern Ireland (FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying, 06/04/2018 – the 35,000-capacity Philips Stadium, Eindhoven, Netherlands)*;
- 29,092: England 3-2 Finland (UEFA Women’s EURO Group Stage, 05/06/2005 – City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, UK); and
- 28,182: Netherlands 4-2 Denmark (UEFA Women’s EURO Final, 06/08/2017 – the 30,205-capacity De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands);
*European FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers are organized by UEFA
Other women’s football international record crowds
FIFA Women’s World Cup
- 90,185: United States 0-0aet, 5-4pens China (Final, 10/07/1999 – the 90,888-capacity Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California, US)
FIFA Women’s World Cup (in Europe)
- 73,680: Germany 2-1 Canada (Group Stage, 26/06/2011 – the 74,475-capacity Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany)
Olympics
- 80,203: United States 2-1 Japan (Final, 09/08/2012 – the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium, London, UK)
Friendly
- 77,768: England 1-2 Germany (09/11/2019 -Wembley Stadium, London, UK)
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