The Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand set a new benchmark for all-time attendance records for the tournament.
By June, over 1 million tickets had been sold, with FIFA expecting the total attendance record to be broken as women's football enjoys an explosion of popularity. Live audience figures passed the previous best mark by the Round of 16 and that only grew in over the final rounds.
The 2023 tournament comfortably surpassed the previous record thanks in part to the expanded format with a record high 32 teams playing 64 games.
Not every game proved a huge draw. Organisers in New Zealand responded to low demand for four such matches by offering to give away 20,000 tickets, including contests featuring debutants Zambia.
The attendances at the tournament, and how they compare between the two host nations, will be an interesting point of observation, and The Sporting News tracked the 2023 attendances while also looking back at the attendance records for previous tournaments.
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2023 Women's World Cup attendance tracker
The largest attendances were at Stadium Australia in Sydney, which saw four capacity-crowd fixtures, including Australia's opening win over Republic of Ireland and the final between Spain and England. The crowd of 75,784 was a record home audience for a women's football match in Australia and the third largest in Women's World Cup history. That figure was also replicated in Australia's semifinal defeat to England, as well as the Lionesses' win over Colombia in the previous round.
It's worth noting that the 42,137 that came out to watch New Zealand's opener represented the biggest crowd in the country's football history — men's or women's.
The match with the smallest attendance was the Portugal vs Vietnam Group E match (6,645) in Waikato, New Zealand.
Date (in AUS/NZL) | Match | Stadium | Official Attendance | % Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|
Thu, July 20 | New Zealand vs Norway | Eden Park | 42,137 | 87.3% |
Thu, July 20 | Australia vs Rep. of Ireland | Stadium Australia | 75,784 | 91.8% |
Fri, July 21 | Nigeria vs Canada | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | 21,410 | 71.2% |
Fri, July 21 | Philippines vs Switzerland | Forsyth Barr Stadium | 13,711 | 47.7% |
Fri, July 21 | Spain vs Costa Rica | Wellington Regional Stadium | 22,966 | 58.9% |
Sat, July 22 | USA vs Vietnam | Eden Park | 41,107 | 85.1% |
Sat, July 22 | Zambia vs Japan | Waikato Stadium | 16,111 | 64.2% |
Sat, July 22 | England vs Haiti | Lang Park | 44,369 | 84.9% |
Sat, July 22 | Denmark vs China | Perth Rectangular Stadium | 16,989 | 76.4% |
Sun, July 23 | Sweden vs South Africa | Wellington Regional Stadium | 18,317 | 47.0% |
Sun, July 23 | Netherlands vs Portugal | Forsyth Barr Stadium | 11,991 | 41.7% |
Sun, July 23 | France vs Jamaica | Sydney Football Stadium | 39,045 | 91.8% |
Mon, July 24 | Italy vs Argentina | Eden Park | 30,889 | 64.0% |
Mon, July 24 | Germany vs Morocco | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | 27,256 | 90.7% |
Mon, July 24 | Brazil vs Panama | Hindmarsh Stadium | 13,142 | 71.3% |
Tue, July 25 | Colombia vs South Korea | Sydney Football Stadium | 24,323 | 57.2% |
Tue, July 25 | New Zealand vs Philippines | Wellington Regional Stadium | 32,357 | 82.9% |
Tue, July 25 | Switzerland vs Norway | Waikato Stadium | 10,769 | 41.7% |
Wed, July 26 | Japan vs Costa Rica | Dunedin Stadium | 6,992 | 22.7% |
Wed, July 26 | Spain vs Zambia | Eden Park | 20,983 | 42.0% |
Wed, July 26 | Canada vs Rep of. Ireland | Perth Rectangular Stadium | 17.065 | 83.2% |
Thu, Jul 27 | USA vs Netherlands | Wellington Regional Stadium | 27,312 | 79.1% |
Thu, Jul 27 | Portugal vs Vietnam | Stadium Waikato | 6,645 | 25.7% |
Thu, Jul 27 | Australia vs Nigeria | Lang Park | 49,156 | 93.6% |
Fri, Jul 28 | Argentina vs South Africa | Dunedin Stadium | 8,834 | 30.7% |
Fri, Jul 28 | England vs Denmark | Sydney Football Stadium | 40,439 | 95.1% |
Fri, Jul 28 | China vs Haiti | Hindmarsh Stadium | 12,675 | 68.7% |
Sat, Jul 29 | Sweden vs Italy | Wellington Regional Stadium | 29,143 | 74.7% |
Sat, Jul 29 | France vs Brazil | Lang Park | 49,378 | 94.5% |
Sat, Jul 29 | Panama vs Jamaica | Perth Rectangular | 15,987 | 71.9% |
Sun, Jul 30 | South Korea vs Morocco | Hindmarsh Stadium | 12,886 | 69.8% |
Sun, Jul 30 | Norway vs Philippines | Eden Park | 34,697 | 71.8% |
Sun, Jul 30 | Switzerland vs New Zealand | Dunedin Stadium | 25,947 | 90.2% |
Sun, Jul 30 | Germany vs Colombia | Sydney Football Stadium | 40,499 | 95.8% |
Mon, Jul 31 | Costa Rica vs Zambia | Waikato Stadium | 8,117 | 32.3% |
Mon, Jul 31 | Japan vs Spain | Wellington Regional Stadium | 20,957 | 53.7% |
Mon, Jul 31 | Rep. of Ireland vs Nigeria | Brisbane Stadium | 24,884 | 47% |
Mon, Jul 31 | Australia vs Canada | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | 27,706 | 92.2% |
Tues, Aug 1 | Haiti vs Denmark | Perth Rectangular Stadium | 17,897 | 87.3% |
Tues, Aug 1 | China vs England | Hindmarsh Stadium | 13,497 | 81.8% |
Tues, Aug 1 | Vietnam vs Netherlands | Dunedin Stadium | 8,215 | 26.7% |
Tues, Aug 1 | Portugal vs USA | Eden Park | 42,958 | 85.9% |
Weds, Aug 2 | South Africa vs Italy | Wellington Regional Stadium | 14,967 | 38.9% |
Weds, Aug 2 | Argentina vs Sweden | Waikato Stadium | 17,907 | 71.3% |
Weds, Aug 2 | Jamaica vs Brazil | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | 27,638 | 91.2% |
Weds, Aug 2 | Panama vs France | Sydney Football Stadium | 40,498 | 95.5% |
Thurs, Aug 3 | South Korea vs Germany | Brisbane Stadium | 38,495 | 73.3% |
Thurs, Aug 3 | Morocco vs Colombia | Perth Rectangular Stadium | 17,342 | 78% |
Sat, Aug 5 | Switzerland vs Spain | Eden Park | 43,217 | 89.5% |
Sat, Aug 5 | Japan vs Norway | Wellington Regional Stadium | 33,042 | 84% |
Sun, Aug 6 | Netherlands vs South Africa | Sydney Football Stadium | 40,233 | 94.7% |
Sun, Aug 6 | Sweden vs USA | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | 27,706 | 92.2% |
Mon, Aug 7 | England vs Nigeria | Brisbane Stadium | 49,461 | 94.6% |
Mon, Aug 7 | Australia vs Denmark | Stadium Australia | 75,784 | 91.3% |
Tues, Aug 8 | Colombia vs Jamaica | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | 27,706 | 92.2% |
Tues, Aug 8 | France vs Morocco | Hindmarsh Stadium | 13,557 | 82.2% |
Fri, Aug 11 | Spain vs Netherlands | Wellington Regional Stadium | 32,021 | 82.1% |
Fri, Aug 11 | Japan vs Sweden | Eden Park | 43,217 | 89.6% |
Sat, Aug 12 | Australia vs France | Brisbane Stadium | 49,461 | 94.6% |
Sat, Aug 12 | England vs Colombia | Stadium Australia | 75,784 | 91.3% |
Tues, Aug 15 | Spain vs Sweden | Eden Park | 43,217 | 86.4% |
Weds, Aug 16 | Australia vs England | Stadium Australia | 75,784 | 91.3% |
Sat, Aug 19 | Sweden vs Australia | Brisbane Stadium | 49,461 | 94.2% |
Sun, Aug 20 | Spain vs England | Stadium Australia | 75,784 | 91.3% |
————— | —————————— | TOTAL (64 matches) | 1,977,824 | Avg: 30,904 |
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Women's World Cup attendance record for single tournament
Following the first two matches in the Round of 16, the 2023 Women's World Cup set a new record for the biggest attendance in the tournament's history. A total of 1,977,824 fans went to the 64 games in total.
The previous best attended Women's World Cup in history came in the 2015 edition in Canada, with a total attendance of 1,353,506.
At the time it was the first World Cup to have 24 teams and 52 matches, which was a factor in securing the record.
The next best-attended tournament was the 1999 World Cup hosted by the USA, which had 1,214,209 fans attend 32 matches.
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Year | Host country | No. of matches | Total Attendance |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | China | 26 | 510,000 |
1995 | Sweden | 26 | 112,213 |
1999 | USA | 32 | 1,214,209 |
2003 | USA | 32 | 679,664 |
2007 | China | 32 | 1,190,971 |
2011 | Germany | 32 | 845,751 |
2015 | Canada | 52 | 1,353,506 |
2019 | France | 52 | 1,131,312 |
2023 | Australia & New Zealand | 64 | 1,977,824 |
Top 10 Women's World Cup attendance records all-time
The highest attendance at a single Women's World Cup match came in 1999, when 90,185 fans turned out to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to firstly watch the third placed playoff between Brazil and Norway, followed by the final, which saw the USA defeat China on penalties.
The next biggest crowd came in the same tournament's opening fixture, where 78,972 were in attendance at Giants Stadium for a double header of USA vs Denmark and Brazil vs Mexico.
Australia's opening match against the Republic of Ireland in 2023 went third on this list, making it the best-attended Women's World Cup fixture this century. The Matildas' match with Denmark in the Round of 16 returned the same figure, as did England vs. Colombia, Australia vs. England and the final.
Match | Year | Country | Stadium | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brazil vs Norway & USA vs China | 1999 | USA | Rose Bowl | 90,185 |
USA vs Denmark & Brazil vs Mexico | 1999 | USA | Giants Stadium | 78,972 |
Australia vs Denmark | 2023 | Australia | Stadium Australia | 75,784 |
Australia vs Republic of Ireland | 2023 | Australia | Stadium Australia | 75,784 |
England vs Colombia | 2023 | Australia | Stadium Australia | 75,784 |
Australia vs England | 2023 | Australia | Stadium Australia | 75,784 |
Spain vs England | 2023 | Australia | Stadium Australia | 75,784 |
Germany vs Canada | 2011 | Germany | Olympiastadion | 73,680 |
USA vs Brazil | 1999 | USA | Stanford Stadium | 73,123 |
2023 Women's World Cup stadium capacities
There are the total of 10 stadiums being used at the 2023 Women's World Cup, with six in Australia and four in New Zealand.
The largest stadium at the tournament is Stadium Australia in Sydney, which can hold 82,500 fans, while New Zealand's largest stadium is Auckland's Eden Park, which has a capacity of over 48,000.
Stadium | Capacity | City | Country |
---|---|---|---|
Stadium Australia | 82,500 | Sydney | Australia |
Lang Park | 52,263 | Brisbane | Australia |
Eden Park | 48,276 | Auckland | New Zealand |
Sydney Football Stadium | 42,512 | Sydney | Australia |
Wellington Regional Stadium | 39,000 | Wellington | New Zealand |
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | 30,052 | Melbourne | Australia |
Forsyth Barr Stadium | 28,744 | Dunedin | New Zealand |
Waikato Stadium | 25,111 | Hamilton | New Zealand |
Perth Rectangular Stadium | 22,225 | Perth | Australia |
Hindmarsh Stadium | 18,435 | Adelaide | Australia |