With the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ less than 50 days away, excitement is building up down under and Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge is part of that.
In partnership with Destination NSW (New South Wales), the World Cup hosts have revealed plans to hold a celebration of football where keen fans and locals can walk across the world-famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sunday 25th June is the date in the diary for this event and it is set to be a day full of colour, culture and inclusivity.
As one of the World Cup hosts – alongside New Zealand – Australia has a perfect opportunity to inspire young Aussies and find the next generation of Matildas. In a country rich with sporting opportunities, many Australians pick Aussie Rules, Rugby League, Swimming, Netball or Cricket – their five most popular sports – over soccer (football), a fringe sport down under.
Naturally, this means it’s much harder to attract young people to the sport, especially given the few opportunities available for women and girls in football previously.
The likes of Sam Kerr, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Ellie Carpenter and others have become household names in Australia, showing the possibilities within football across the world. A home World Cup will surely just further their already high profiles and vibrant festivals celebrating culture and sport is a perfect way to create the energy, anticipation and enthusiasm that makes international tournaments so unique.
The eyes were already on the Matildas as the broke the Lionesses’ winning streak, beating the European Champions 2-0 in a friendly. April also saw the release of a six-part Disney+ documentary: ‘Matildas: The World at Our Feet’ taking fans behind the scenes from the moment Australia’s bid to co-host the tournament was successful.
Sydney will host the opening game of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ at the Stadium Australia where the Matildas will take on the Republic of Ireland who are making their Women’s World Cup debut.
The anticipation for the opener in Sydney was apparent when in January – 7 months ahead of the start – the match was moved from the 42,500 seater Allianz Stadium to the Stadium Australia which seats over 82,000 people.
Thousands of tourists from across the world are expected to flock to Sydney to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ but being held a month before the tournament, the Sydney Harbour Bridge day of celebration with be a special day for Aussies and expats to represent their culture and the power which sport holds.
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