Ticket sales for the 2023 Women’s World Cup have surpassed 1.5 million, setting a new benchmark for the tournament.
Football fans have turned out in droves for the showpiece tournament, with 363,937 fans attending the 12 games that have been played at the time of writing.
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That figure means an average attendance of 30,326 at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, eclipsing the average of 21,756 for the 2019 iteration of the tournament in France.
Of the 1.5 million tickets sold, 1.1 million have come from Australia, highlighting the support for women’s football in the country.
In addition, over 117,000 football fans have paid a visit to the FIFA Fan Festival across several cities in Australia and New Zealand, with 17,134 fans passing through the Sydney Festival in what is the highest count so far.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson believes the staggering numbers are a clear sign of “the growing strength and appeal of the women’s game” and expects several more records to fall over the course of the tournament.
“This tournament is creating history and we are delighted as Host Nation,” Johnson said.
“We are seeing a surge in support for women’s football, not just in ticket sales, but also in broadcast viewership, fan festival participation and merchandise sales.
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“This heightened interest in our national iconic brands is also reflected in record CommBank Matildas merchandise sales online and in retails stores.
“These numbers reflect the growing strength and appeal of the women’s game, particularly the CommBank 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 CommBank Matildas and have come out in numbers at all matches across the country and we thank
them for their exceptional support.”
GERMANY SMACK MINNOWS FOR SIX IN RUTHLESS DISPLAY
Talismanic striker Alexandra Popp scored twice as Germany thumped debutants Morocco 6-0 to launch their Women’s World Cup title charge in ominous fashion on Monday.
Popp’s 12th-minute header set the Germans on their way in Melbourne and she collected another before the break as the two-time champions romped to the biggest win of the tournament so far.
Klara Buehl added a third in Germany’s first attack after the restart before own goals from Hanane Ait El Haj and Zineb Redouani.
A last-minute strike from substitute Lea Schueller completed the rout as Morocco’s piece of history — the first Arab team to play at a Women’s World Cup — ended in humiliation.
On paper it was the biggest mismatch of the group stage, with 70 places separating them in the world rankings, and the gulf was apparent from the off.
The Atlas Lionesses showed glimpses of magic and had a goal disallowed.
However, a fairytale win never looked likely in front of 27,256 fans at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, a near full-house.
Germany, who won the World Cup in 2003 and 2007, went out in the quarter-finals four years ago.
They are among the favourites to bag a third title and had their first look at goal when Buehl’s low freekick fizzed wide.
They kept pressing and opened their account when Wolfsburg’s Popp climbed unmarked to head in her 63rd international goal from a pinpoint Kathrin Hendrich cross.
Morocco were on the back foot but skipper Ghizlane Chebbak had a sniff midway through the half, only for her long-range strike to be comfortably collected.
Lyon’s Sara Daebritz found the back of the net with a tidy finish soon after as Germany probed for an inevitable second, but the goal was ruled offside.
The second came seven minutes before the break with Popp, facing away from goal, shouldering home after Buehl’s menacing corner.
Buehl then pounced for their third seconds after the restart with Morocco still asleep, rifling home the rebound after Lina Magull hit the woodwork.
In end-to-end action, Anissa Lahmari was denied a historic first World Cup goal for Morocco when she was adjudged offside, before play switched back to the other half and Ait El Haj’s own goal.
The defender turned the ball into her own net after a defensive header ricocheted off her shin, with the second own goal coming as Redouani desperately tried to clear off the line.
Schueller made it six from close in as the clock ticked down, with a seventh denied by the offside flag.
Today’s Women’s World Cup schedule (AEST)
Italy 1-0 Argentina
Germany 6-0 Morocco
9pm: Brazil v Panama in Adelaide/Tarntanya
FOUR MINS OF MADNESS SPARKS LATE ITALY CHAOS
Cristiana Girelli came off the bench to score an 87th-minute winner over Argentina as Italy began their Women’s World Cup with a 1-0 victory in a feisty encounter at Eden Park on Monday.
It looked like Italy would have to settle for a draw in their Group G opener, watched by almost 31,000, fans after Arianna Caruso and Valentina Giacinti both had goals disallowed in the first half.
But Girelli, the Juventus veteran who was Italy’s top scorer in qualifying, came on for 16-year-old Giulia Dragoni near the end and needed just four minutes to make her mark with a header.
The result sets Italy up perfectly for their next game, against group favourites Sweden in Wellington on Saturday.
Milena Bertolini’s team are hoping to match their performance at the 2019 World Cup in France, when they surprisingly made it to the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile an Argentina team appearing at their fourth World Cup have still to win a game at the finals in 10 attempts. They will hope to break their duck when they play South Africa next.
It looked set to be a frustrating evening for Italy as both Caruso and Giacinti had goals ruled out for offside in the first half.
Argentina might even have gone in front just after the restart when an Eliana Stabile free-kick from wide on the left almost caught out goalkeeper Francesca Durante.
When a Manuela Giugliano free-kick whistled just over at the other end midway through the second half, after captain Barbara Bonansea had been chopped down, it seemed as if the game would end goalless.
But then Girelli, who scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Jamaica at the last World Cup, entered the fray in the 83rd minute.
Moments later she got up above Stabile to score with a superb header from Lisa Boattin’s left-wing cross.
Italy then held on for the victory, with Durante having to make another important save in stoppage time to keep out a free-kick by Florencia Bonsegundo.
MINNOWS CELEBRATE ‘NO. 1 RESULT EVER’
A goalless draw might seem like a disappointing outcome. Not for Jamaica, the world’s 43rd-ranked team, who stunned world number five France last night in Sydney.
Jamaica are playing in their second World Cup after making their debut in France 2019. But that time out, they copped three hammerings – 4-1 to Australia, 5-0 to Italy, and 3-0 at the hands of Brazil.
And this time around, they had to turn to crowd-funding to help get them to Australia, with one fundraising effort currently sitting just over $50,000 USD
So picking up the Reggae Girlz’ first point at a World Cup was a momentous occasion – particularly against a competition heavyweight and playing in front of over 39,000 fans.
Jamaica’s players celebrated the final whistle as though they had won the entire tournament, and even did a lap of honour to thank the crowd.
Coach Lorne Donaldson proudly declared in his post-match press conference that it was the biggest win in Jamaica’s football history – male or female.
“I would say it’s the number one result that we’ve had so far. You’re playing a team like France who are just fantastic. To answer it, it’s the number one result I have seen, men or women, I would put it there.
“If you go by the rankings, you would say that result on this stage has to be number one.”
Left-back Deneisha Blackwood gave one of the finest individual performances of the tournament so far, earning her the player of the match award and being chaired off the pitch by her teammates.
She said in the post-match press conference: “Yes it does (feel like a win). Obviously last World Cup we didn’t get a point. I think just to get a point in such a big game is just really a victorious feeling for us.”
Asked why the underdog teams are performing so well this World Cup against heavyweight nations, she said: “I’m not saying the bigger team doesn’t have heart but I think smaller teams coming to these games, we have a lot on the line and I think we just play with our heart.
“The football world is growing and I think that shows in smaller countries too.”
Donaldson said his side was just one of many smaller nations who are increasingly full of belief they can challenge the top sides.
Already this tournament, New Zealand has stunned Norway, South Africa took the lead against world number three Sweden, and Haiti only fell 1-0 to European champions England. There have been many more competitive clashes despite the expansion of the tournament to 32 teams.
Donaldson said: “I think if you look at once upon a time, the US by far was very very dominant. I think you can see the gap is closing.
“And the smaller nations are jumping on that bandwagon and saying ‘we can do this too’.”
More upsets are certainly on the cards – with Morocco and Panama both hoping to make history in their first World Cup games today.
But there was one sad moment for Jamaica, with superstar Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw of Manchester City earning a red card in stoppage time, meaning she’ll miss their next match.
REPORTER’S SHOCKING QUESTION REVEALED
World Cup debutants Morocco will make history today when they face Germany in their maiden match at the tournament.
Morocco are the first Arab country to feature at a women’s World Cup, while Nouhaila Benzina will also become the first player to wear a hijab in tournament history.
And while their pre-match press conference on Wednesday had plenty of touching moments about the milestone moment and the team’s fighting spirit, one shocking moment derailed the event.
A BBC reporter asked captain Ghizlane Chebbak about her country’s ban on same-sex relationships.
“In Morocco it’s illegal to have a gay relationship,” he said. “Do you have any gay players in your squad, and what’s life like for them in Morocco?”
The question was immediately shut down by a moderator, saying: “Sorry, this is a very political question. We’ll restrict it to questions related to football please.”
The reporter replied: “It’s not political! No, no, no. It’s about people. It’s got nothing to do with politics. Please let her answer the question.”
Chebbak and coach Reynold Pedros were clearly taken aback, looking at each other in surprise. According to reports, other attendees of the press conference were “audibly dismayed”, while one journalist confronted the BBC reporter after the presser concluded.
Many journalists and fans around the world were dismayed by the question, given the risk to player wellbeing and safety if Chebbak spoke out against her nation’s laws or publicly outed a teammate.
The Athletic’s Steph Yang said: “From a harm reduction perspective, this is not an appropriate question for a player and would have endangered the players themselves.”
Morocco open their campaign against Germany this afternoon before playing South Korea, and Colombia.
“We are not here just to make up the numbers only, but to compete,” Chebbak said through a translator.
“We are honoured to be the first Arab country to take part in the Women’s World Cup.”
Coach Pedros said: “We are ready to fight, we are ready to go against this exceptional team. We have also prepared for ourself to do great things. Today we are determined and we are approaching this game with a lot of serenity.
“It’s the first game for the World Cup for us but it’s exciting. We really want to be here, we are very happy to be here … we have to be better than this team (Germany).”