With the Socceroos’ tilt at the World Cup in Qatar now at an end after a monumental campaign, Football Australia is turning its focus to its next big event – the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The Women’s World Cup will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand next year, beginning in July.
Football Australia’s James Johnson noted the Women’s World Cup will be the biggest women’s sporting event in the world, and it is an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of the Matildas and women’s football globally.
“The performance of our Socceroos in Qatar, leading into a home FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in July and August next year plus the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, will inspire more people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to play the world game and create a legacy for the sport in Australia for generations to come,” explained Johnson.
The popularity of the Matildas, led by fan favourite Sam Kerr, has grown substantially in recent years. Last year, the women’s national team drew record-breaking crowds to their games on home soil and also claimed large TV audiences during the Tokyo Olympics.
In November 2021, the Matildas drew a record crowd of 36,000 people to a match in Sydney against the United States. And during the Olympics, they drew a peak audience of 2.32 million viewers for their semi-final match against Sweden.
Having next year’s Women’s World Cup on home soil will continue to grow interest in the national team, and Football Australia also hopes it will encourage the participation base of women and girls in the game.
Currently, women make up 26 per cent of Australia’s participation base. Football Australia is planning to achieve a 50 per cent gender participation split by 2027 – with the Women’s World Cup playing a key role in achieving this.
The Matildas are also set to benefit from a major funding boost from the federal government designed to support the World Cup campaign ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The funding equates to $12 million over two years to support the progression of elite women’s football in Australia.
Commonwealth Bank has also been announced as the first local tournament supporter of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.