Nine FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Matches Confirmed For Eden Park

Eden Park, New Zealand’s national stadium, is thrilled with today’s announcement that nine matches of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ tournament will take place on its hallowed turf.

Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau’s nine matches will include:

• the tournament’s opening match on 20 July which will feature the Football Ferns
• a further five other group stage matches until 1 August
• a round of 16 match on 5 August
• a quarter-final on 11 August
• a semi-final on 15 August

“This is an incredible opportunity for Eden Park and Aotearoa to showcase football’s elite and create unforgettable memories,” says Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner. “The eyes of the world will again be on the Park as we open the single biggest sporting event ever held In New Zealand.”

With the 2019 event attracting more than 1 billion viewers, anticipation is building to deliver this historic occasion. The new tournament slogan of ‘Beyond Greatness’ captures the vision to unite and inspire people around the world through the power of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and women’s football.

The team at Eden Park is experienced and accustomed to delivering milestone events. Previous major tournaments held at the Park include the 2015 Cricket World Cup and the triumphant 2011 Rugby World Cup. Over the next 12 months, the stadium will also play host to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 and the Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022) – meaning it will host a total of three Women’s World Cups in two years.

For premier global events, including World Cups, host nations are generally required to offer at least one stadium with a capacity of at least 50,000. In New Zealand, Eden Park is the only venue that meets this requirement, making it a key player in the country’s ongoing ability to secure high profile tournaments of this calibre.

“Eden Park and Tāmaki Makaurau’s selection only highlights the mana that our stadium holds on the world stage. We are committed to delivering an event that not only offers an outstanding fan experience but also creates a genuine legacy as we strive for gender equality in sport.”

“Our venue is a globally recognised stadium which remains a strategic asset for the country and community asset for Auckland. We now have a key role to play in the rejuvenation of the events industry following a challenging period of COVID lockdowns.”

Now that tournament fixtures are locked in, the venue will look to complete some key upgrades to guarantee its facilities are ready for the first kick-off.

“We are committed to ensuring all of the Park’s facilities and infrastructure are world-class and worthy of hosting this significant tournament,” says Sautner. “We look forward to working with central Government, Auckland Unlimited and Auckland Council to deliver an unparalleled showcase of football’s finest.”

With its unbeatable transport connectivity, proximity to the city and facilities that cater to all demographics and cultures within New Zealand, Eden Park’s 118-year history makes it a Kiwi and global icon.

Today’s announcement marks a unique and special moment for Eden Park and New Zealand. Now that matches are confirmed, the stadium will continue to prepare towards delivering this important tournament – one that will leave a profound and enduring legacy for women’s football within our countries, the region and beyond.

ENDS

For more information:

Kristie Homersham

EA to the CEO

Eden Park

khomersham@edenpark.co.nz

About Eden Park

Eden Park is New Zealand’s national stadium and a globally iconic arena, located in central Auckland. With 118 years of history, the Park has hosted some of the world’s most memorable sporting moments from cricket, to rugby, to rugby league and football. A range of other community initiatives and events are also hosted throughout the year.

Eden Park Trust operates as a statutory not-for-profit body corporate, registered as a charitable trust with the Charities Commission. Its objectives are to promote, operate and develop Eden Park as a high quality multi-purpose stadium for the use and benefit of rugby and cricket as well as other sporting codes and other recreational, musical, and cultural events for the benefit of the public of the Auckland region.

Its rich history and profile is unmatched by any other stadium in the country. From its beginnings as a cricket ground in 1903, Eden Park became the primary venue for major summer and winter sport in Auckland when in 1913, the owner, Auckland Cricket, leased winter use of the ground to Auckland Rugby.

A Deed of Trust establishing Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby as the beneficial owners of Eden Park was signed in 1926 and has since been enshrined in legislation. Most notably remembered for hosting the 1987 and 2011 Rugby World Cup Finals, Eden Park remains the home of both Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby as it has been for more than a century.

Each year, more than half a million sports and entertainment fans from around the world visit Eden Park. The stadium successfully hosts sell-out crowds of up to 50,000 on match days and hosts more than 1,000 non-match day functions per year. A range of community initiatives are also hosted throughout the year including the likes of The Lifewise Big Sleepout, Auckland City Mission Christmas Appeal, Walk for Awareness (SNAP Fitness – Mental Health), Japan Day, NZ Eid Day, The World’s Biggest Bootcamp, Eden Rugby Holiday Clinic, Field of Dreams, The Block NZ: Firehouse, Learn 2 Ride (Auckland Transport) and the Eden Park Dog Walking Club, as well as local school assemblies and duathlons.

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