FIFA can rub its hands with pride: the Women’s World Cup, held since 20 July in Australia and New Zealand, has already set a new attendance record, even before the quarter-finals get underway. The body has published the figures: before the Round of 16 match between the United States and Sweden, played on Sunday 6 August in Melbourne, the tournament had attracted 1,339,331 spectators. If we add the 27,706 people who attended Sweden’s victory over the defending champions, the attendance surpassed the previous record – 1,353,506 – set at the 2015 World Cup in Canada. This is an historic achievement, but it is not just due to the growing popularity of women’s football around the world. Before the 2023 edition in Oceania, the World Cup featured 24 teams, compared with 32 in the current format. The tournament featured 52 matches, compared with 64 this year. Nevertheless, the average attendance for the 2023 World Cup was just over 26,000. Another record.
