Our top 5 stats from the Women’s World Cup (so far)
16 August 2023
Penalties, millions of fans and the Matildas.
You’ve probably heard it from all corners of the globe, but this Women’s World Cup has smashed records left, right and center.
From a bullet of a penalty kick to a game that stopped a nation, this tournament will live in our memories for years to come. So, we decided to wrap up some of our favorite stats to come out of an incredible 4 weeks, with plenty more to come as we race towards the final.
Chloe Kelly’s Record Kick
As England’s Chloe Kelly took her penalty against Nigeria in their round of 16 match up, no one knew what she was about to achieve. She not only won the game for the Lionesses, she set the record for the fastest shot in the Women’s World Cup so far as well.
According to data from the OCEAUNZ, the official match ball of the Women’s World Cup, Kelly’s shot reached 69 mph (110.79km/h) – a speed that beats the most powerful strike of the 2022-23 Premier League season, by West Ham’s Saïd Benrahma, that clocked in at 66.6mph (107.2km/h).
It’s been a busy tournament for the match ball and the technology that lies within (which we’ve touched on here). From measuring the speed of penalty kicks to determining its position to crush the hopes of a USA 3-peat, it’s punched well above its weight.
Matildas stop half the nation (if not more)
The quarter-final between Australia and France smashed Australian viewership records with new figures from the free-to-air broadcast showing an audience of 11.9 million people, just shy of half the Australian population, plus another 2.3 million on their streaming app so far. These numbers don’t account for the thousands that packed stadiums and pubs to watch the game as well.
It’s been a record-breaking tournament for the Matildas, their final group match against Canada held an audience of 4.71 million, a viewership record that stood for a week before their round of 16 match up with Denmark saw an audience of 6.45 million. With their semi-final scheduled this week, we’re sure they’ll break their own record once again.
Attendances like never before
Before the tournament even began FIFA were shouting about the record ticket sales, and fans turned up in their droves. At the time of writing a record 1.7 million fans have passed through the gates across the tournament, with over a hundred thousand more predicted to watch the final 4 matches.
The previous best attended Women’s World Cup in history came in the 2015 edition in Canada, with a total attendance of 1,353,506. It means this year’s tournament is the largest standalone women’s sporting event in the world.
A Digital Experience
Those who have attended any of the games this year know one thing: it’s an entirely digital experience. There are no paper tickets and no cash, rather an in-depth app helps you navigate game day, a first for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
It’s something we’re seeing all over the globe as we transition to a paperless stadium experience. Through their longstanding partnership with FIFA, Visa is the official payment partner of the Women’s World Cup and enhanced the game day experience through rewarding Visa card holders and provided payments cards for those who needed to transfer their cash. Tickets for all games were delivered through the official FIFA ticketing app as well.
Speaking of ticketing, we can help you make the most of your ticketing data, learn how we can transform your operations by getting in touch here.
And finally, while we’ve got you, we are hosting a 5-part World Cup podcast special, interviewing some of the biggest movers and shakers across the tournament with episode 5 about to drop.
Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts below to join in on the conversation.
