Fifa Women’s World Cup barely registers with Australian public amid packed sporting agenda

While several streets of Sydney are decked out in the tournament’s colors and emblems, there is little to alert the uninitiated that the biggest Women’s World Cup of all time is about to kick off.

32 nations – up from 24 in 2019 – will be battling for the title over the next 4½ weeks, but in a country where high-profile sporting events are the order of the day, the Women’s World Cup barely registered amid a packed domestic programme.

The Australian Football League season is in full swing, coinciding with the country’s other dominant sport, the National Rugby League. Both have continued to garner significant media attention. This also applies to the ongoing Ashes cricket series.

In contrast, the Women’s World Cup has remained on the sidelines in a country where football has long been treated with suspicion and disinterest.

But despite the lukewarm mood in the media, there were promising signs of interest ahead of Thursday’s kick-off.

Australia were sold out in their final warm-up game against France at Melbourne’s 50,000-capacity Docklands Stadium last Friday, a 1-0 win that sparked growing optimism the Tony Gustavsson-coached co-hosts could start a title fight.

The Australians go into the tournament looking to peak at the right time after two years of inconsistent streaks, going out in the quarter-finals at last year’s Asian Women’s Cup in India and then enjoying a series of mixed results in preparation.

Talented forward Sam Kerr has become a symbol of the team on and off the field. The Chelsea player was widely used to promote the Matildas in many of the team’s commercial activities.

Much of the country’s hopes rest on the prolific captain’s shoulders and interest in seeing her in action meant all three of Australia’s group games against Ireland, Nigeria and Canada were sold out.

However, other games in the 48-game group stage of the competition have so far proved less attractive, with organizers in New Zealand giving away up to 20,000 tickets due to slow sales.

Since only a few fans from abroad have traveled to Australia so far, there was a lack of enthusiasm in the run-up to the event that one is used to from tournaments of comparable size.

All eyes on the ground will be on the co-host teams, with New Zealand set to take on former winners Norway in Thursday’s first game in Auckland, while the usual suspects are expected to fight for the title.

The United States, winners of four of the eight editions staged since the event opened in 1991, are the focus of favorites and European champions England, their South American counterparts Brazil and Olympic champions Canada are all considered potential winners.

China also go into the finals as continental champions, having lifted the Women’s Asian Cup in India last year, but hopes that Shui Qingxia’s side can repeat the triumphs of a bygone era are slim.

It has been almost 25 years since the Steel Roses reached the final in 1999, during the country’s golden era, and the goal for China next month is a place in the quarter-finals for a side ranked No. 14 in the world.

“My first World Championship as head coach makes me nervous at times,” said Shui, a silver medalist at the 1996 Olympics while playing. “I hope I can keep my composure and help my players build confidence.

“No matter what happens at the World Cup, I hope my players can face the challenges with a smile and show China’s fighting spirit to all our fans.”