Slow sales have caused FIFA to make the unusual step of giving away a huge number of tickets for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand. The giveaways are for games in Auckland, Haimlton, Wellington, and Dunedin New Zealand, where concerns are high about attendance at games this summer.
The giveaways are being sponsored by the official event partner, Xero, which is offering 5,000 complimentary tickets to games in each of the four cities hosting contests on the island nation. Former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinta Ardern is also trying to promote the games on social media to drum up interest.
“My feed is going to be dominated by a lot of football chat these next few weeks – not because I’m an expert, but because I’m so excited that New Zealand is hosting such a massive event…,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
“There are still tickets to some games across New Zealand (Auckland, Dunedin, Wellington and Hamilton) so whether you’re an amateur enthusiast or an expert, this is your reminder to jump online and join in!”
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According to Reuters, the concerns about the pace of the sales are only for games in New Zealand, whose “Football Ferns” have never won a contest in five World Cup appearances. The co-host Australian side is considered one of the favorites in the event, which has never been hosted on that continent. The United States have won the previous two FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments, and are among the favorites once again.
New Zealand is in Group A of the tournament, alongside Norway, Switzerland, and Philippines. Australia is in Group B with Canada, Ireland, and Nigeria. Matches for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 kick off on July 20 when the Football Ferns take on Norway, Australia battle Ireland, and Nigeria take on Canada. The United States gets its tournament underway on July 21 against Vietnam.
The full schedule for the tournament’s group stage is included below. The knockout rounds begin on August 5, with semifinals scheduled for August 15 and 16 and the final on August 20.
Thursday, July 20
New Zealand vs. Norway, 3 a.m. on Fox
Australia vs. Ireland, 6 a.m. on Fox
Nigeria vs. Canada, 10:30 p.m. Fox
Friday, July 21
Philippines vs. Switzerland, 1 a.m. on FS1
Spain vs. Costa Rica, 3:30 a.m. on FS1
USA vs. Vietnam, 9 p.m. on Fox
Saturday, July 22
Zambia vs. Japan, 3 a.m. on FS1
England vs. Haiti, 5:30 a.m. on Fox
Denmark vs. China, 8 a.m. on Fox
Sunday, July 23
Sweden vs. South Africa, 1 a.m. on FS1
Netherlands vs. Portugal, 3:30 a.m. on FS1
France vs. Jamaica, 6 a.m. on Fox
Monday, July 24
Italy vs. Argentina, 2 a.m. on FS1
Germany vs. Morocco, 4:30 a.m. on FS1
Brazil vs. Panama, 7 a.m. on FS1
Colombia vs. South Korea, 10 p.m. on FS1
Tuesday, July 25
New Zealand vs. Philippines, 1:30 a.m. on FS1
Switzerland vs. Norway, 4 a.m. on FS1
Wednesday, July 26
Japan vs. Costa Rica, 1 a.m. on FS1
Spain vs. Zambia, 3:30 a.m. on FS1
Canada vs. Ireland, 8 a.m. on FS1
USA vs. Netherlands, 9 p.m. on Fox
Thursday, July 27
Portugal vs. Vietnam, 3:30 a.m. on FS1
Australia vs. Nigeria, 6 a.m. on FS1
Argentina vs. South Africa, 8 p.m. on FS1
Friday, July 28
England vs. Denmark, 4:30 a.m. on FS1
China vs. Haiti, 7 a.m. on FS1
Saturday, July 29
Sweden vs. Italy, 3:30 a.m. on FS1
France vs. Brazil, 6 a.m. on Fox
Panama vs. Jamaica, 8:30 a.m. on Fox
Sunday, July 30
South Korea vs. Morocco, 12:30 a.m. on Fox
Switzerland vs. New Zealand, 3 a.m. on Fox
Norway vs. Philippines, 3 a.m. on FS1
Germany vs. Colombia, 5:30 a.m. on FS1
Monday, July 31
Japan vs. Spain, 3 a.m. on Fox
Costa Rica vs. Zambia, 3 a.m. on FS1
Canada vs. Australia, 6 a.m. on Fox
Ireland vs. Nigeria, 6 a.m. on FS1
Tuesday, Aug. 1
Portugal vs. USA, 3 a.m. on Fox
Vietnam vs. Netherlands, 3 a.m. on FS1
China vs. England, 7 a.m. on Fox
Haiti vs. Denmark, 7 a.m. on FS1
Wednesday, Aug. 2
Argentina vs. Sweden, 3 a.m. on Fox
South Africa vs. Italy, 3 a.m. on FS1
France vs. Panama, 6 a.m. on Fox
Jamaica vs. Brazil, 6 a.m. on FS1
Thursday, Aug. 3
South Korea vs. Germany, 6 a.m. on Fox
Morocco vs. Colombia, 6 a.m. on FS1
