Capacity crowd at Go Media Stadium witness Auckland FC's winning A-League debut

A sell-out crowd at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium yesterday evening witnessed A-League newcomer Auckland FC secure their first ever competitive win.

Almost 25,000 fans packed the venue to watch the home team secure a 2-nil tin against Brisbane Roar.

The venue was decked in blue for the game with the 24,492 attendance vindication for the Australian Professional League’s decision to expand the competition.

The crowd number was close to Sydney FC’s record for the largest first-game attendance when 25,208 showed up at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium in the League’s inaugural season.

The last two expansion clubs to join the A-League drew just 10,128 (Western United at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium) and 7,723 (Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Sports Stadium) for their first games, with both clubs continuing to struggle to attract healthy attendances.

New Zealand’s other team, Wellington Phoenix, attracted 14,421 to their first game against Melbourne Victory in 2007, and last season, set a record for a club match held in New Zealand, when 33,298 attended the semi-final at Wellington’s Sky Stadium, also against the Victory.

Last season, the A-League drew an average attendance of 8,589, with Sydney FC topping the league with an average of 14,107 across 14 home matches at Allianz Stadium. Western United had the lowest at just 3,274 per game.

The NRL’s NZ Warriors have also experienced healthy attendances at Go Media Stadium in recent seasons, attracting an average crowd of 23,758 across its 10 NRL home matches during 2024.

The introduction of Auckland FC marks the return of a professional football team to New Zealand’s largest city for the first time in 17 years, while it marks the first time two New Zealand teams have competed in an Australian sports league.

The New Zealand Knights, the successor to the Auckland Kingz (who competed in the old National Soccer League), participated in the first two seasons of the A-League, but struggled to attract crowds to home matches at Auckland's North Harbour Stadium, with an average attendance gate of less than 4,000.

The new club promises to be far more successful, thanks to its American billionaire owner, Bill Foley, who also owns English Premier League team Bournemouth AFC.

Images: Auckland FC fans at Go Media Stadium yesterday evening (top) and the venue decked in blue (below).