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SYDNEY. — Organisers of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which starts in 100 days, say they are on course to sell a record 1.5 million tickets.
Around 650,000 have been sold for the event in Australia and New Zealand.
“FIFA’s mission is to organise the biggest and best Women’s World Cup in history this year,” said FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura.
The World Cup, which features England and the Republic of Ireland, starts on 20 July with the final on 20 August.
As well as targeting 1.5m tickets sales, organisers predict the month-long tournament will attract a global television audience of two billion viewers.
FIFA hope more than 100,000 fans will attend the event’s opening day overall, when New Zealand play 1995 winners Norway at the 50,000 capacity Eden Park in Auckland — kick-off at 08:00 BST — and Australia face the Republic of Ireland at the 83,500 capacity Stadium Australia in Sydney (11:00).
Australia’s opening match was originally due to be played at Sydney Football Stadium, which holds 45,500 people, but has been moved to a bigger venue to meet the demand for tickets.
The last phase of ticket sales has just started for what promises to be another big milestone in women’s football.
During the build-up to the 2019 World Cup in France, Fifa said a record 720,000 tickets had been sold with 50 days to go.
On the eve of the tournament 950,000 tickets had been purchased and a week later Fifa said more than 1 million tickets had been “allocated to fans around the world”.
However, the number of complimentary tickets handed out, coupled with low ticket prices for some group matches, led to empty seats and fans accusing the organisers of undervaluing the tournament.
This is the ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup. The first tournament in 1991 saw 12 teams compete in China when the United States won the first of their four world titles.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has predicted the 2023 edition will be the “best ever” after it was expanded from 24 teams in 2019.
Thirty-two countries will compete over 64 matches at 10 different venues across nine cities in Australia and New Zealand.
Eight teams are making their World Cup debuts — Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Vietnam, Philippines, Haiti, Panama, Zambia and Morocco.
Zambia — 77th in the world — are the lowest ranked team at the tournament. Denmark are making their first World Cup appearance for 16 years.
Seven teams are ever-presents having appeared at the previous eight tournaments — United States, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Japan, Norway and Nigeria.
European champions England, who are making their sixth appearance, will be based in Australia.
The Lionesses launch their Group D campaign against Haiti in Brisbane on 22 July (10:30) before facing Denmark in Sydney six days later (09:30) and China in Adelaide on 1 August (12:00).
The United States are looking to be crowned world champions for the third straight tournament after successes in Canada in 2015 and in France in 2019. The number one ranked team in the world will be based in New Zealand for their Group E campaign. — BBC Sport
Online Reporter