The schedule for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand has been announced, with Auckland’s Eden Park to stage the opening match and Sydney’s Accor Stadium to host the final.
The 2023 World Cup will mark the first edition of the women’s event to be co-hosted by two countries, and the first to feature 32 teams. The tournament will get underway at Eden Park on July 20, with the newly-named Accor Stadium (pictured) to host the final a month later on August 20.
The 10 host venues were announced back in April. As well as Eden Park and Accor Stadium, matches will be played at Allianz Stadium (Sydney), Hindmarsh Stadium (Adelaide), Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane), Forsyth Barr Stadium (Dunedin), Waikato Stadium (Hamilton), AAMI Park (Melbourne), HBF Park (Perth) and Sky Stadium (Wellington).
The opening match at Eden Park will feature New Zealand, with Australia to begin its campaign at Allianz Stadium. The remaining group-stage fixtures will be split between Australia and New Zealand.
Auckland will host five matches during the group stages, with Wellington, Dunedin and Hamilton to host seven, six and five, respectively. In Australia, Allianz Stadium will host six group-stage matches, with Perth and Brisbane staging five each and a further four each taking place in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Accor Stadium will host its first match during the Round of 16, with a further five matches to be held in Australia during this stage of the tournament. The remaining two matches will be held at Eden Park and Sky Stadium.
The quarter-finals will take place at Eden Park, Suncorp Stadium, Sky Stadium and Accor Stadium. Eden Park and Accor Stadium will then host one semi-final each before the latter hosts the final. The third-place play-off will be held at Suncorp Stadium.
Football Australia chief executive, James Johnson, said: “We are very pleased with the match schedule from many perspectives.
“It has delivered Australia a higher split of matches with 35 of a possible 64 matches being played across the five Australian host cities and includes a Matildas match on the opening day at the new Sydney Football Stadium, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 final at Stadium Australia. It also guarantees that the Matildas will play all their matches in Australia, an important factor in the team’s preparation and for our fans.”
Eden Park chief executive, Nick Sautner, added: “This is an incredible opportunity for Eden Park and Aotearoa to showcase football’s elite and create unforgettable memories. The eyes of the world will again be on the Park as we open the single biggest sporting event ever held In New Zealand.”
Image: Tommy Silver on Unsplash
