(Brisbane) Sales are approaching 1.6 million tickets to the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, after beating pre-tournament forecasts and revised FIFA record expectations.
The old mark of around 1.35 million was set in Canada during the 52-game tournament in 2015. The 2023 edition features 32 teams and 64 games.
The international soccer federation said a total of 547,713 spectators attended the first 21 games in Australia and New Zealand. The revised target of 1.5 million was surpassed on Monday.
According to FIFA, the average of 26,802 spectators per game represents a 48% increase compared to the same point during the tournament presented in France in 2019. The average was then 18,068 spectators.
The opening matches on July 20 broke records for women’s soccer matches in each of the two host countries. A crowd of 42,137 watched New Zealand’s surprise victory over Norway, while 75,784 watched Australia beat Ireland.
A week later, more than 49,000 spectators watched Australia’s shock 3-2 loss to Nigeria in Brisbane.