More than one million tickets have been sold for this summer’s Women’s World Cup, eclipsing the historic sales mark set in France four years ago and placing this year’s event on pace to become the most attended FIFA Women’s World Cup in history.
This summer showpiece, hosted in Australia and New Zealand, has long been tipped to be a landmark occasion in the women’s game, with an expanded format of 32 teams dovetailing an unprecedented appetite for women’s football. And with just over a month to go until the group stages, anticipation has hit fever pitch with ticket sales exceeding one million.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino proudly announced the historic achievement over Instagram, stating that the numbers signposted a clear growing interest in the game. “Delighted to share with the world that FIFA has passed one million tickets sold for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup,' he wrote in a message posted on Instagram,” he wrote.
“As I write this, 1,032,884 tickets have been sold. This means that with over one month to go before kick-off, we have surpassed the numbers sold for France 2019, thus meaning that Australia & New Zealand 2023 is on track to become the most attended FIFA Women's World Cup in history.”
“The momentum is building in the host countries and across the globe, and I look forward to seeing you there to witness the stars of women's football shine on the world stage.”
Infantino’s comments, while stridently optimistic, threaten to overshadow the pernicious issue of broadcasting rights that continues to grip the tournament.
FIFA are entrenched in an ongoing dispute over TV rights, with Infantino threatening a European blackout last month if broadcasters from the biggest European footballing countries – UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy – did not put forth higher offers.
The threat has ignited a stand-off that has yet to be resolved, though the UK appear to be best poised to reach an agreement with the BBC and ITV working on a deal to share coverage.
Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses face Haiti in the first round of the group stages on 21 July. The European Champions are one of the favourites heading into the tournament.
