It began in the bustling stadiums of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. From the very outset, the electric fervour of fans hinted that this FIFA Women’s World Cup would be extraordinary. And it didn't disappoint, writes Aziz Al Sa'afin.
I spent the early days of the tournament in New Zealand. It’s fair to say Eden Park’s record-breaking attendance was but the appetiser to a feast of football excellence.
The tale of the tape: more than 340,000 fans across nine matches in Auckland, an average of almost 38,000 that marked a seismic shift in how we perceive women’s sports.
As I shifted base to Sydney, I found myself in a football mecca. It really did feel like what many described as a “watershed moment” for women's sports and free to air television.
600,000 fans attended 11 matches, with hundreds of thousands more at live sites around New South Wales alone. Sell-out games and jam-packed fan zones became the norm, each echoing a powerful statement.
Stories from the Heart
Chatting with fans, young and old, unveiled two themes equally shared.
The first showcased the thrilling journey of nations like Spain and England to the final. For the Lionesses, hopes were high, but the evening's chant turned out to be ‘it didn’t come home’, while La Roja’s (The Red One) victory capped off their dominance in the tournament.
The second, more profound theme, centred on inspiration.
Everywhere I went, stories poured in about how teams like the Matildas and the Football Ferns inspired countless dreams. These women, as Australia's Minister for Women Jodie Harrison eloquently put it, weren't just making history in sports, they were creating pathways for future players.
A cultural phenomenon
Broadcast screens came alive not just in stadiums and live site, but homes around the world.
Famous Australian venues like Sydney Cricket Ground, Brisbane Stadium, and Melbourne’s Federation Square became epicentres of celebration (and at times, chaos).
The fan festivals transformed into cultural hubs, boasting live music, food trucks, and activities for all ages.
And the economic windfall was monstrous. A staggering A$3 billion ($3.2 billion) in NSW and more than A$11 billion ($11.9b) nationwide.
But the tournament’s real legacy lies beyond numbers. It sits inside the murals that will be painted at Stadium Australia, on the thousands of signed jerseys, scarves, and “never to be washed” hands of groupies, and in the minds of everyone who watched and thought “that could be me one day”.
A "once-in-a-generation moment," as NSW Premier Chris Minns put it.
Smashing TV records and rewriting the history books
The final match garnered a historic 12 million viewers on BBC One in the UK, making it the most-watched women’s football match in British history and the second-most watched event for BBC this year behind the inauguration of King Charles III.
Australia’s unprecedented audience figures, especially when the Matildas took on England, had a national average audience of 7.13 million viewers, with a total of 11.15 million viewers watching at one point. It became the most watched TV program in the nation’s history, dwarfing any NRL, AFL, or State of Origin grand final.
So, what next?
The surge in the popularity of women’s sports, especially football, signifies it's not the future — it's the present.
But as the world stands to applaud, there's an underlying need to address disparities, especially in pay conditions, echoing Rugby Australia's sentiment that there's still a “way to go”.
As for the sceptics who questioned the appeal of women’s sports: the roaring stadiums, record-shattering viewership, and tales of inspiration across continents should serve as a resounding reply.
Women's sports isn't just being watched—it's being celebrated and is inspiring a new generation.
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