Football Australia today welcomed the announcement that Stadium Australia will host the CommBank Matildas’ opening match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ against the Republic of Ireland on 20 July 2023.
Kicking off at 20:00 (AEST), the opening day match will see Australia play in the largest venue of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ following significant interest for tickets with more CommBank Matildas fans now provided with the opportunity to be a part of the historic tournament.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson expressed his delight at the move to a higher capacity venue and the prospect of a CommBank Matildas attendance record.
“It’s very exciting news. The move from Sydney Football Stadium to Stadium Australia is big for Australian football and highlights the confidence which we have in the CommBank Matildas to draw a huge crowd for the first match of the tournament in Australia,” Johnson said.
“This is a major worldwide competition, and it really places Australia and New Zealand right at the heart and the centre of world football for a month. As we witnessed in 2022, these competitions transcend sport and really bring the Australian community together.
“This move, which Football Australia strongly advocated for, completely aligns with our positioning of the CommBank Matildas as one of our two iconic national teams and one of Australia’s most loved sporting teams. It will ensure that more people can now be a part of the opening match of the CommBank Matildas at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™.”
A thorough assessment of the competition and operational implications, as well as a comprehensive consultation process with key stakeholders, led to the ultimate outcome that is set to increase the impact and visibility of women’s football in Australia and the tournament.
“FIFA’s mission is to organise the biggest and best Women’s World Cup in history this year, and fans, those who bring colour, passion, and atmosphere to Stadiums will be such an integral part of the tournament’s success,” said FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samoura.
“With this in mind, we have taken a decision that will enable over 100,000 fans to attend the opening matchday, providing more opportunities for supporters to engage with the FIFA Women’s World Cup as a month of football we will never forget gets underway.”
The site of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ Final, Stadium Australia is also the venue that holds the CommBank Matildas standalone crowd record when 36,109 fans turned out in November 2021 to watch Australia take on current FIFA Women’s World Cup champions, the United States. With the demand for CommBank Matildas tickets, that record is set to be under threat this July.
“We want this match to set the tone for the rest of the tournament and it’ll be a great start to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ for the CommBank Matildas. We see it as a great opportunity for Australia to showcase itself to a global football audience and we call on all supporters of the team and lovers of football to turn up for a fantastic day,” Johnson said.
Ticket purchasers will be notified by email that the affected match has been relocated and their tickets will remain valid irrespective of the venue change.
Additional single match passes for the CommBank Matildas against the Republic of Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney will go on sale at 12.00 pm AEDT on Friday, 24 February 2023 at .
The Second Sales Phase will conclude on Friday, 3 March 2023 with the Last-Minute Sales Phase commencing on Tuesday, 11 April 2023 – 100 days prior to the opening matchday.
