In just 100 days, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™ will commence with opening games being played in both Australia and New Zealand.
Accor Stadium, which will revert to generic name Stadium Australia for the duration of the tournament, will host the CommBank Matildas’ opening night game against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday 20 July.
The Stadium will also host one game in each of the knockout-stage rounds including a Round of 16 match, a Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final 2023™ on Sunday 20 August.
With today marking 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, single match passes are back on sale at fifa.com/tickets
To mark the 100-day milestone, Football Australia has unveiled an impressive mosaic to commemorate a multitude of significant moments and contributions since the inception of the bold and forward-thinking Legacy ’23 plan.
The year 2023 is poised to be the most thrilling in Australian football history, with the CommBank Matildas ranked Australia’s fourth most favoured national team (source Futures Sport and Entertainment Brand Health Report December 2022) and rising participation numbers, promising a bright future for our game.
With just 100 days to go until the world unites on our shores for the largest standalone event in women’s sport, there are many achievements to celebrate in the advancement of women’s football in Australia (as represented in the mosaic) and at the same time, an opportunity to reflect on what remains to be carried out.
Since its launch in February 2021, the Legacy ’23 Plan has been instrumental in securing Federal and State funding across the five pillars for Football Australia. Notably, 79 per cent of this has been attributed to the development of elite and tournament infrastructure necessary to make the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ possible.
Despite some progress, FA says it is crucial that the nation addresses much needed improvement in community grassroots facilities. Currently, only 40 per cent of football facilities nationwide are classified as female-friendly, and the figures are even more alarming in NSW, where the number drops to 24 per cent .
Federal Minister for Sport, Anika Wells said: “In 100 days, this World Cup will change lives . . . not just for players, but for fans captivated in stadiums and for the children watching on believing they too can be great.
“The FIFA Women’s World CupTM is crucial to providing opportunities to increase football and sport participation by women and girls and we must work together to ensure this becomes reality. The Government has provided significant financial, operational and policy support to the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ to help promote cultural change through sport and ensure the tournament leaves a positive legacy for decades.”
Football Australia CEO, James Johnson said: “Our Legacy ‘23 Plan has laid the groundwork for Football Australia to leverage the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM and to revolutionise the future of women’s football and the way in which women and girls across the country participate in sport.
“As we strive to become Australia’s first community sport to reach gender parity, we will continue to work collaboratively with Federal and State Governments, and our commercial partners to capitalise on the growth this event will bring to our game and to unlock further opportunities to support the country’s largest club-based participation sport.”
Football Australia is also currently preparing a bid to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, which is a natural step to expand on the strong platform created by the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™.
The Last-Minute Sales Phase for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™ will begin today, with tickets on sale from 12noon AEST, 2pm NZT, and 4am CEST at on www.FIFA.com/tickets.
The Last-Minute Sales Phase will run until the end of the tournament, giving fans a chance to purchase tickets and be part of the world’s largest standalone sporting event for women. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and subject to availability.
