Sydney hosted 603,957 footballing fans at the 11 FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM games played in the NSW over the past month – one third of the 1.9 million fans who attended matches during the biggest tournament of its kind to date.
The final was played at Stadium Australia on Sunday night, with the match attracting a sell-out crowd of 75,784 attendees.
Each of the five games played at Stadium Australia – including Australia’s opening match versus Republic of Ireland and the semi-final against England – reached the venue’s maximum tournament capacity.
Across the event, the average attendance at Sydney venues was 54,905 fans per match – a tournament high.
The FIFA Fan FestivalTM site in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, was also the largest FIFA Fan FestivalTM across the nine host cities, attracting 250,084 attendees.
The Sydney site was opened for 209 hours and 15 minutes across 25 days for fans to enjoy every match live streamed, along with delicious street and free live entertainment. This included performances from Jessica Mauboy, Jack River, Jacotene, Tones and I, BIA, Diarra Sylla, Mia Wray, Steph Strings, and Nina Las Vegas.
FIFA has reported 777,000 fans attended FIFA Fan FestivalTM sites across the nine host cities in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The NSW Government supported additional public viewing events as interest in the tournament reached unprecedented levels, opening Sydney Football Stadium, Western Sydney Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground to the public for free match viewing on venue big screens.
Sydney Olympic Park was also a hub for the knockout rounds of the tournament with additional screens and entertainment in the precinct throughout the final weeks.
Other public viewing sites across Greater Sydney and regional NSW hosted thousands of fans over the month.
According to financial infrastructure platform Airwallex, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM has seen a $2.98 billion rise in travel and retail spending in NSW directly linked to the event, by comparing consumer spending in specific months to the average for that year.
FIFA has reported that USD $570 million in revenue was generated throughout the tournament, allowing the event to break even for the first time.
The NSW Government has also committed to commissioning a giant mural at Stadium Australia to celebrate the Matildas’ historic success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM.
The permanent mural will capture some of the Matildas’ greatest moments during the tournament at the scene of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM final.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said NSW has a lot to be proud of in delivering a world class event.
“The Matildas’ campaign captured the imagination of NSW, Australia, and the footballing world. This was a once-in-a-generation moment in Australian sport," he said.
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said the Matildas have made history not just for women’s sport but have etched an indelible new milestone into the Australian history books.
“This team of mothers, daughters and sisters have been watched by the largest audiences in the history of women’s sport, and they are role models for every woman and girl in Australia and around the world," Ms Harrison MP.
“Every achievement on that football pitch helps kick goals for women and girls in sport for the long term.”
