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Women’s World Cup coming Down Under!

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An historic FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 has been lined up after the FIFA Council announced the successful co-Confederation, Australia and New Zealand #AsOne bid this morning.

Not only will it be the first FIFA Women’s World Cup™ to be held in the southern hemisphere, it’s also the first edition to feature 32 teams.

The joint bid submitted by Football Federation Australia and New Zealand Football received 22 of the 35 valid votes cast by the FIFA Council members in the first ballot, with the Colombian Football Association having obtained 13 votes.

The 2023 edition has been described as a player-centric tournament, with Australia-New Zealand promising to deliver record-breaking crowds and long-term participation growth, bringing football together As One to celebrate the women’s game.

Football Federation Australia and New Zealand Football extended thanks to the Australian and New Zealand governments, Matildas’ and Football Ferns’ fans and the entire football family who supported the bid from the outset, as well as the bidding team who worked tirelessly to develop a bid that will unlock the untapped football potential of the Asia-Pacific region.
 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, said:

“We are honoured to have been selected as hosts for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™.  It will be a historic tournament of firsts that will create a profound and enduring legacy for women’s football in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.  We are looking forward to delivering the best ever FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in both nations, one that will elevate the women’s game and inspire women and girls around the world.”

NZF President and FIFA Council Member, Johanna Wood, believes Australia-New Zealand will deliver a tournament the likes of which has not been seen before:

“Australia and New Zealand will not only host a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ that is the largest tournament ever run, but it will also be a catalyst for ensuring the development of women’s football continues in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.

“Our two nations have worked together to deliver an exceptional, historic bid and I would like to thank FIFA and the whole football family for giving us this opportunity. The FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 will bring us all together in a celebration of our shared loved of football.”

As for what a Women’s World Cup means for the Asia-Pacific region, the numbers are look good.

Global viewing figures for last year’s Women’s World Cup in France dwarfed those of the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

FIFA claimed an audience of 1.12 billion for its event in June and July, while World Rugby claimed an audience of 857 million for its one, which ran from September to November.

Oceania has a fantastic history of hosting tournaments with the 2023 Women’s World Cup to be the fourth FIFA tournament hosted by New Zealand, following the men’s U-17 World Cup in 1999, the inaugural U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2008, and the men’s U-20 World Cup in 2015.

Papua New Guinea were hosts of the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup while Tahiti hosted one of the most successful FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups in 2013.

Each event has left a tangible legacy in the host nation as well as the region, but with the FIFA Women’s World Cup the absolute pinnacle of women’s sport, the potential for growth of the women’s game across the Pacific is an exciting proposition.

View the bid document here.

View the voting results here.

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