Both hosts can be pleased with the event so far which is attracting billions of viewers, and lots of attention across the globe. In fact, in Ireland, mass times have been changed and Brazil has changed work times for its civil servants – all to enable fans to watch the games.
There have been record ticket sales already with fans scrambling to snap up those which may be left. 1.24 million viewers watched the Matildas opening game, whilst a record crowd of 75,784 filled the Allianz Stadium in Sydney. Already, 1.5 million tickets have been sold for the Cup games, setting a new benchmark.
The sale of jerseys has surprised Nike who have stated that more Matilda jerseys were sold ahead of the Cup than for the Socceroos during and since the men’s World Cup in 2022.
The Matildas celebrate in style. (Photo: Reg Raghavan)
Le Azzurre played a powerful game to win against Argentina, delighting fans of Italian background both locally and globally. Saturday’s game against Sweden is set to be a nail-biter.
It seems that the naysayers about the popularity of women’s football have been silenced. There is no doubt that there will be a rethink at FIFA around the popularity, skilfulness, and commercial power of women’s football at the end of this incredible tournament.
Already, the power of football has been evident in two other significant ways. Firstly, in bringing communities together, secondly, in inspiring the next generation of players (despite the inequity they face).
Gulcan Koca is a retired Australia Women’s W-League player (and who also played for the Turkey women’s national football team). She is particularly familiar with the capacity of sport in creating social connection through her community engagement role at Melbourne Victory Football Club. She states that “the FIFA Women’s World Cup brings diverse cultures together; it fosters cultural exchange.”
A full complement of thirty-two countries are represented in the tournament. The largest of all Women’s World Cup tournaments so far. Teams include three-time champions United Sates and powerhouse teams such as France and England. There are also a few debutantes including Haiti, Morocco, Philippines, Portugal, Vietnam, Zambia, and Panama.
Smaller teams which are causing a stir include Jamaica, Colombia, and as we have seen, Nigeria, with their recent win over the Matildas.
Nick Hatzoglou, the Community Champions Manager of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 for CulturalPulse, has found that multicultural communities across Australia are ecstatic about seeing teams representing their originating countries.
Given that the host countries have a strong multicultural make-up, fans are used to the dual support dilemma; that is, supporting Australia as well as countries from which they, or their families, have migrated. Many fans interviewed seem to have a stash of various jerseys, flags, scarves, and associated mascot items ready to be pulled out of cupboards for such sporting occasions.
Certainly, the Matildas are represented by players who reflect the make-up of the nation: goalkeeper Lydia Williams and striker Kyah Simon are both Indigenous players. Chloe Logarzo, midfielder, is Italian on her father’s side and Scottish on her mother’s side. Emily Gielnik is of Croatian background, Aivi Luik has Estonian and Swedish parents.
There are global links at another level also. Many of the Matilda players are professional footballers on the international stage. For instance, in 2021 Liuk became a team member of Seria A team Pomigliano in Italy, Sam Kerr plays for Chelsea, Hayley Emma Raso plays for Real Madrid, Tameka Yallop plays for Norwegian Toppserien team, Brann. And so, the list goes on.
The Cup demonstrates the power of football in creating and strengthening global community connections.
The Australian Honorary Consul of Haiti, Julia Melamud, says that the relatively small Haitian community is incredibly proud to have Haiti play on Australian soil, saying “it’s an incredible feeling of achievement to be part of the Cup.” She explains that the Australian-Haitian community and friends are so excited they are actually travelling around Australia to support their beloved team, as well as to enjoy the feeling of connection through the Cup games and events.
Australian-Colombian singer, Stefania Serna, has recently performed at numerous Colombian Independence Day celebrations across Australia. She has observed that the hot topic at these events has been women’s football, “at times the community feels so isolated in Australia, but having the team play in Australia has given the community such energy and everyone is super excited.” She adds that “women’s football has had a hard time in Colombia. It was mocked and denigrated. It has really struggled. This is an important tournament for the game and for women.”
Many Italy fans from across the world have donned their characteristic azzurro (azure) jerseys and made their way to Aotearoa to see the team play.
In fact, the Cup is proving to be instrumental in demonstrating the capacity and tenacity of women on the sporting field for many countries.
Koca explains that the Cup “promotes women’s sports and gender equality. It will leave a lasting social impact by encouraging sportsmanship and active lifestyles. Also, it will inspire growth in women’s football with increased opportunities and support for female athletes.”
You certainly don’t need to look too hard to see the growth in women’s football, and the increasing uptake amongst young girls playing football in suburbs across Australia.
From the representation of young girls at the games, the Cup is providing inspiration for the next generation of Matildas.
Alessandra is ten years old while her sister, Sienna, is seven. Both have been playing for several years. Currently they are playing for Old Ivanhoe Soccer Club and when they are not playing, they watch as many W-League games as they can. Their Italo-Australian father, Anthony, has been a fan of football since his own early days as keeper for his local club.
The sisters are keeping a close eye on the Cup games and are particularly keen for either the Matildas or Le Azzurre to raise the Cup as 2023 champions. Sienna says she only wears her Azzurri kit to training and, like her sister, hopes that one day they will also take to the pitch as international players, “We are so excited to watch the women play. We get so nervous for them. When Italy won against Argentina we just started jumping up and down.”
Azzurre fans delighted with the win against Argentina in New Zealand (Photo: Reg Raghavan)
Despite her young age, Sienna has a strong perspective on the difference between the women’s and men’s game: “the women play differently to the men. While the men roll around the pitch holding their ankles – the women just get up and keep playing. They are tough.”
There is a long way to go for women’s football. Even if the sisters dream of playing for the Matildas comes true, they may find further differences between the women’s and men’s game. The Cup prize money is a mere quarter of what is received by the men, despite the commercial revenue and popularity.
Alarmingly, some of the teams have had to battle just to be able to get to the Cup. For instance, Jamaica had to do their own fundraising, the Nigerians have not been paid for two years. Also, there are a number of teams who are struggling to be paid consistently, even at such a top level.
There are a list of challenges which evidence the inequities that plague football, as well as women’s participation across many sports, from community to professional level. These include access to facilities, sponsorship, equipment, media messaging, airtime and many more.
Despite everything, for the moment it’s game on.
The Beautiful Game is being played on our doorstep, and this is, in itself, another achievement.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup is providing the opportunity for different nations to showcase their football prowess on the world’s football stage. And one thing is certain, fans across the globe are united in their support and sheer delight.
Whichever team will end up holding up the Cup – the women are proving to be outstanding and inspirational champions in many ways already.
