NSW Premier Chris Minns has hailed the Women's World Cup a "once-in-a-generation moment in Australian sport", with nearly a third of the record 1.9 million fans who passed through the turnstiles attending games in Sydney.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Almost 604,000 spectators got along to Sydney stadiums during the 32-team tournament jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Sunday night's final between Spain and England at Olympic Park's Stadium Australia sold out with 75,784 attendees, as did four other matches played at the venue, including Australia's opening match against the Republic of Ireland and the semi-final against England.
"The Matildas' campaign captured the imagination of NSW, Australia and the footballing world," Mr Minns said.
And not only from grandstands and lounge rooms, with Sydney's fan hubs also drawing soccer tragics and casual supporters alike.
A fan festival site at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, attracted more than a quarter of a million people throughout the tournament, proving the most popular across the nine host cities.
FIFA reported the event generated $US570 million in revenue, allowing it to break even for the first time.
Jobs and Tourism Minister John Graham said the tournament had exceeded expectations on every level.
"This is one of the biggest events in Australia since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and was a record-breaking world cup that will be remembered for generations to come," Mr Graham said.
"Our stadium crowds averaged 97 per cent capacity across the 11 Sydney matches, showing unprecedented support for women's sport and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023."
The NSW government earlier said a giant mural will be commissioned at Stadium Australia to celebrate the Matildas' historic success.
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said the Matildas' achievements went beyond women's sport to being a milestone in Australian history.
"This team of mothers, daughters and sisters have been watched by the largest audiences in the history of women's sport, and they are role models for every woman and girl in Australia and around the world,'' she said.
"Every achievement on that football pitch helps kick goals for women and girls in sport for the long term."
Australian Associated Press
