According to FIFA, a total of 1.25 million tickets have been sold for matches in both Australia and New Zealand, the co-hosts of the tournament. Out of those, 320,000 tickets have been sold for matches in New Zealand, but only six of those matches are nearing full capacity.
In an effort to boost attendance, the accounting firm Xero, which is a partner of the tournament, announced on Thursday that it would provide 5,000 complimentary tickets for a match at each of the four venues in New Zealand.
According to Dave Beeche, the chief executive of the Women’s World Cup, FIFA is satisfied with the current ticket sales rate in New Zealand. Beeche stated that sales have improved recently due to increased media coverage of the tournament.
Beeche mentioned that certain games are in higher demand, particularly those involving the New Zealand team and highly ranked teams. However, he expressed overall satisfaction with the progress of ticket sales.
Sales in New Zealand for Women’s World Cup
In the past month, Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s head of women’s football, expressed some concerns about the pace of ticket sales in New Zealand, despite the overall sales surpassing those of the 2019 World Cup in France.
Bareman noted that ticket sales in Australia have been boosted by support for the Australian women’s team, which is a strong contender for the title. On the other hand, New Zealand’s Football Ferns have never won a World Cup group match, which may have impacted ticket sales.
A larger issue lies in the fact that soccer is not widely popular in New Zealand, and attracting fans to stadiums during the colder months of the year poses a significant challenge.
Adding to the competition for attention, New Zealand’s national rugby team, the All Blacks, will be playing against South Africa in Auckland on Saturday. This match is expected to draw a large crowd, as it could have been sold out multiple times over.
Conclusion
In an attempt to address sluggish ticket sales in New Zealand, a sponsor has generously offered 20,000 free tickets for Women’s World Cup matches. While FIFA expresses contentment with the current sales rate, concerns have been raised about the pace. The popularity of rugby and the lack of soccer support in New Zealand, coupled with the timing of the event in the colder months, pose challenges. Meanwhile, the clash with a highly anticipated rugby match adds to the competition for audience attention.
