As the FIFA Women World Cup in 2023 was hosted in a country known for Australian balls and cricket, there were shadows of doubt hanging over the event. Recently, the women’s game has struggled to attract audiences in major footballing nations, and the decision to move the tournament to two countries with different time zones than Europe further increased the scepticism meted to the tournament. Added to this, there was next to no passion for football shared in these countries.
According to all indications, the FIFA Women World Cup would be a flop for the 9th edition. Those predictions proved false, however, when co-host New Zealand stunned tournament favourites Norway in front of a sell-out crowd at Eden Park in Auckland
It was truly a historic event to witness at the Women’s World Cup. Witnessing the Women’s World Cup was a historic experience. The European champions England were defeated by Spain in the final thanks to incredible full-back Olga Carmona, the first final without either the USWNT or Germany. As for the Germans, they exited before the knockout phase before being knocked out by Sweden in the round of 16.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which grossed over 2 million physical audiences across 9 host cities and 10 stadiums, smashing the previous record of 1.35 million for the 24-team tournament in Canada in 2015, also grossed over 3.7 billion in both digital and Television audiences.
The tournament that FIFA President Gianni Infantino was hailed as ‘transformational’ after $570 million in revenue was generated, allowing the competition to break even for the first time.
The tournament saw a significant shift in power dynamics as the traditional heavyweights USA, Germany, and Brazil faced early eliminations from the competition.
Aside from the unexpected exit of the USA, several up-and-coming nations emerged at the tournament, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, and Jamaica. These countries all demonstrated their togetherness and quality by advancing to the knock-out stages.
Records were broken throughout the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The expanded format, now featuring 32 teams, led to an increased number of matches. The remarkable quality of football exhibited on the field played a pivotal role in sustaining high ticket sales and soaring television viewership.
An astonishing 75,784 capacity attendance was recorded on 3 separate occasions at Sydney’s Stadium Australia. FIFA reports that the average crowd across the 10 venues stood at 28,900. This represents a notable surge compared to the previous edition in France and previous World Cups, hence underlining the global interest women’s football keeps garnering despite many matches being scheduled during non-prime-time hours.
Australia’s achievement in finishing in the top four is indeed noteworthy. Following in the footsteps of the USA, who accomplished the same feat in 1999 and 2003, Australia showcased its ability to both organize a successful tournament and perform at a high level on the field.
Spain and England’s journey to the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup marked a historic moment, as it increased the total number of nations to have reached the final in the tournament’s history.
Casey Phair’s remarkable achievement of becoming the youngest player to appear in the FIFA Women’s World Cup at just 16 years and 26 days old is a testament to her talent and potential in the sport.
Mai Duc Chung’s record-setting tenure as the oldest coach in a FIFA World Cup match, at 73 years and 41 days old, is a remarkable feat that demonstrates his dedication and experience in the sport.
More so, a total of 164 goals were scored in Australia & New Zealand in 2023, surpassing the previous high of 146 recorded at both the 2015 tournament in Canada and the 2019 edition in France.
Barbra Banda’s goal for Zambia against Costa Rica marked a significant milestone in FIFA Women’s World Cup history as the 1000th goal scored in the tournament.
