June 27, (THEWILL) – The upcoming Women’s World Cup is poised to kick off in grand fashion as co-hosts Australia and New Zealand anticipate capacity crowds for their opening matches.
This comes from Dave Beeche, Chief Executive of the Women’s World Cup, who confirmed that the Matildas’ opening game against Ireland on July 20, at Sydney’s Stadium, Australia, has already sold out with no available tickets remaining. Additionally, Beeche expects a capacity crowd in Auckland, where New Zealand’s team, known as the “Football Ferns,” will face Norway on the same day.
In light of concerns over ticket sales in New Zealand, Beeche was confident that the opener at Auckland’s Eden Park would also sell out. He revealed that fewer than a few thousand tickets are still available, with the stadium’s capacity just under 40,000. Despite the discrepancy in ticket sales between the two co-hosts, Beeche justified the numbers by highlighting the population difference between Australia and New Zealand.
He pointed out that Australia, with a population of 26 million, has seen 830,000 tickets sold, while New Zealand, with a population of five million, has already sold 270,000 tickets. The impressive turnout expected for the opening matches has been described as a significant moment for women’s football. FIFA’s Head of Women’s Football, Sarai Bareman, had previously shown concerns about the low ticket sales in New Zealand, where the home team, the Football Ferns, have struggled in recent matches.
However, Beeche stressed the Matildas’ strong ranking and New Zealand’s efforts, noting that despite initial worries, New Zealand was performing well in ticket sales compared to its population size. With less than a month remaining until the tournament’s start, both co-hosts are looking forward to a momentous occasion that celebrates women’s football on a global scale.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
