Clouded with shadows of doubts, hosted ‘down under’ in countries known for Aussie balls and Cricket, many had their reservations ahead of the start of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Women’s game has struggled to attract audiences in major footballing nations in recent times, and the decision to move the World Cup to two countries with distinct time zones from that of Europe, not to mention the next-to-nothing passion for football shared in these countries further increased the scepticism meted to the tournament.
All signs seemed to foretell an impending flop for the 9th edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup by the football governing body. However, those predictions were silenced when the tournament kicked off at Eden Park in Auckland, where co-host New Zealand stunned tournament favourite Norway in front of a sold-out crowd.
This appeared as a one-off until the Australian Women’s national team – the Matildas, took centre stage. The highly contagious ‘Matildas fervour’ generated by fans spurred the Australian team to their first-ever semi-final even in the face of an injury to their star player, Sam Kerr.
Being the first edition of the Women’s World Cup to feature 32 nations, many teams, including eventual champions Spain, had to overcome their fair share of adversities on their way to donning their respective flags at the Mundial.
Africa was not exempt from the travails and adversities as both South Africa and Nigeria prior (and during) the tournament dealt with the issues of bonus settlement. Moreover, eventual finalist England had unresolved bonus disputes before the tournament. 2019 hosts France also had their fair share of vicissitude. However, the ordeal of the Reggae Girlz of Jamaica, which involved a GoFundMe and donations from both Adidas and Cedella Marley, appeared to have stolen the headlines of the sorry state of Women’s football heading into the World Cup.
The showing witnessed at the Women’s World Cup was truly historic. The final, which saw Spain rise from the ashes to defeat the reigning European champions England thanks to sensational full-back Olga Carmona, was the first final without either the USWNT or Germany involved. The four-time champions were dumped out of the round-of-16 by Sweden, whilst the Germans suffered an earlier exit- before the knock-out phase.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which grossed over 2 million physical audiences across 9 host cities and 10 stadiums, smashing the previous record of 1.35 million for the 24-team tournament in Canada in 2015, also grossed over 3.7 billion in both digital and Television audiences.
The tournament that FIFA President Gianni Infantino was hailed as ‘transformational’ after $570 million in revenue was generated, allowing the competition to break even for the first time.
In this piece, we will explore the substantial impacts of the recently concluded tournament on the women’s game holistically.
Growing Depth of Women’s Football
The tournament saw a significant shift in power dynamics as the traditional heavyweights USA, Germany, and Brazil faced early eliminations from the competition.
In addition to the unexpected exit of the USA, the tournament witnessed the emergence of several up-and-coming nations in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, and Jamaica. These countries all demonstrated their togetherness and quality by advancing to the knock-out stages.
Morocco secured their spot in the knock-out rounds from Group H after displacing Germany, who had defeated the African team 6-0 at the outset of the World Cup. The Moroccan players huddled around a phone, anxiously watching the final moments of Germany’s match against South Korea before erupting into jubilation.
Regrettably, their journey was short-lived, as they were eliminated in the round of 16. This fate was shared by South Africa and Nigeria as well. Notably, it should be recalled that this was the first time up to 3 African countries had qualified for the knock-out phase. Meanwhile, Jamaica accomplished a remarkable feat by eliminating Brazil during the group stage, underscoring the increasing depth of the women’s international football landscape.
Numerous Glass Ceiling Smashed
Numerous records were shattered throughout the recently concluded World Cup. The expanded format, now featuring 32 teams, led to an increased number of matches. Amidst the abundant drama and controversies that followed various decisions made by the tournament organisers, the remarkable quality of football exhibited on the field played a pivotal role in sustaining high ticket sales and soaring television viewership.
A staggering 75,784 capacity attendance was recorded on 3 separate occasions at Sydney’s Stadium Australia. FIFA reports that the average crowd across the 10 venues stood at 28,900. This represents a notable surge compared to the previous edition in France and previous World Cups, hence underlining the global interest women’s football keeps garnering despite many matches being scheduled during non-prime-time hours.
Other notable records set at the just concluded Women’s World Cup include:
Australia became only the second team to host a FIFA Women’s World Cup and finish in the top four after the USA did it in 1999 and 2003.
Spain and England’s surge to the final for the first time increased the total number of nations to have reached the Final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup to 10.
The tournament also saw Korea Republic’s Casey Phair, at 16 years 26 days, become the youngest player to appear in FIFA Women’s World Cup history at this tournament.
While Vietnam, who exited the tournament early, saw their coach Mai Duc Chung at 73 years 41 days, set the record for the oldest coach in a FIFA Women’s World Cup match.
It should also be noted that a total of 164 goals were scored at Australia & New Zealand 2023, surpassing the previous high of 146 recorded at both the 2015 tournament in Canada and the 2019 edition in France.
Putting a smile on the faces of our African representatives, Zambia’s Barbra Banda goal against Costa Rica was the 1000th goal in FIFA Women’s World Cup history.
Room for Improvement
A significant amount of work remains undone in women’s football. Controversies plagued the build-up to this World Cup, and numerous countries found themselves competing against a backdrop of internal tensions, including the champions Spain. These scenarios are unwanted and unnecessary, as players should have the opportunity to showcase themselves on the grandest stage without such distractions.
FIFA came under fire for considering Saudi Arabia as a potential sponsor for the tournament. Also, a narrative emerged after President Gianni Infantino was brought under the spotlight for his fringe involvement in this Women’s World Cup, compared to his role in the men’s tournament held in Qatar.
Amidst all this, Spain’s triumph in the tournament evokes mixed emotions. Only months ago, most players on the team had threatened to withdraw from international football unless head coach Jorge Vilda stepped down.
They cited the detrimental impact of his leadership on their emotional well-being. Despite the players’ concerns, Vilda retained his position.
Concluding, it is important not to neglect the little thing which Haiti and Zambia’s participation in this World Cup shed light on – the ongoing struggles that women footballers still face, as allegations of sexual misconduct against staff members sum up the struggles faced by several players and teams. Progress must be advocated and fought for to give the women’s game every opportunity to thrive.
