Eden Park looks back on 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup success

Four weeks on from the final match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Auckland’s Eden Park has looked back on what is sees as having been one of the most successful tournaments it has ever hosted.

Eden Park Chief Executive, Nick Sautner advises “over 350,000 fans from across the world have packed the stadium, and globally, millions have tuned in to watch their teams compete in the nine matches played at Eden Park.

“This tournament has showcased the power of sport in breaking barriers and promoting gender equality. It leaves an unforgettable legacy and has shown the world what is possible in our great country.

“Every match has provided a platform for celebrating and empowering female athletes, inspiring young talents to dream big and aspire to achieve greatness in football.”

Fan attendance throughout the tournament has surpassed all previous records for a football crowd - men’s and women’s, in New Zealand.

Sautner noted “to witness so many passionate fans coming together to support their teams and watch the world’s best female footballers battle it out on the iconic turf, has been phenomenal.

“The tournament has delivered significant social and economic benefits to our community, city, and country - the boost to our tourism, local businesses job creation, improvements to our facilities, and the media exposure has all highlighted the valuable role major events have in our society.

“Over the past two years, Eden Park has hosted three world cups, the only stadium in the world to have achieved this. As we reflect on the past few weeks, the FIFA Women’s World Cup has reinforced Eden Park’s position as a community asset for Auckland and a strategic asset for New Zealand, delivering a diverse range of sports and entertainment contents.”

Sautner concluded “what we’ve witnessed at Eden Park and around New Zealand and Australia is an unforgettable chapter in our history. The memories created here will be remembered for a lifetime.”

FIFA Women’s World Cup at Eden Park:

• Over the course of 27 days, Eden Park hosted nine matches including a quarter-final and semi-final, showcasing the talents of 14 diverse teams.

• More than 350,000 avid football fans came through the Eden Park gates, including over 63,000 international supporters. The vibrant energy brought by fans from around the world added an unparalleled dimension to the atmosphere.

• Eden Park set new benchmarks for attendance, with five matches witnessing larger crowds than ever before seen at men’s or women’s football matches in New Zealand or any other women’s sports match.

• Fans consumed 6,610 homemade pies, a 6,225 kilograms of hot chips and more than 23,363 classic New Zealand hotdogs

• The playing surface was immaculately cared for by eight members of Eden Park’s dedicated turf team. Their efforts ensured that the grass stood at an exact height of 2.5 centimetres, adhering to the requirements of two FIFA-specified mowing directions. The turf was meticulously maintained, with more than 25,000 steps taken per mow and a special double cut on game days.

Pacific Championships rugby league
The venue is also set to host an international rugby league triple-header between New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga in October as part of the newly launched Pacific Championships.

The Pacific Championships will be staged in 2023 and 2024, after the NRL and NRLW Premiership seasons, and will include men's and women's teams from Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Cook Islands.

Images: Eden Park on the opening of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (top), Eden Park Chief Executive Nick Sautner presents a Hannah Wilkinson print to FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura and FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the tournament (middle) and Eden Park on 15th August during the first semi final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (below).