The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup will descend on Perth for a series of matches after Australia and New Zealand were last night awarded joint hosting rights for the blockbuster global event.
FIFA last night announced Australia and New Zealand's 'As One' bid had beaten out the remaining competitor, Colombia, after other bidders Brazil and Japan earlier withdrew.
The win represents a historic achievement for football in Australia - marking the first time the country has hosted a senior FIFA tournament.
The McGowan Government last year threw its support behind the joint bid, which will draw a significant number of visitors to the State and provide extensive international media exposure.
While the final match schedule is still to be determined, the Australia-New Zealand bid proposed the use of 13 stadiums across 12 cities - with Perth's rectangular stadium set to host a number of matches.
FIFA inspected Australia and New Zealand's venues, infrastructure and supporting facilities in February - with the resulting technical report topping all other bidders.
The tournament represents a terrific opportunity to promote Perth and WA to the world. Almost 59 million people watched Brazil's last-16 game against hosts France in last year's Women's World Cup - the most-watched women's football match of all time.
The total tournament broadcast audience for the France 2019 Women's World Cup was estimated at one billion.
The 2023 edition will be first time the women's tournament has hosted 32 teams, with 64 matches set to take place over a five-week period.
The recently announced $32.5 million State Football Centre will be completed in time for the tournament, providing world-class facilities for the world's best players.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"This is a historic achievement for football in Australia, and a terrific coup for Perth as we get set to host the world's best over a series of matches in 2023.
"The Women's World Cup is a blockbuster event, and in 2023, millions of football fans from all over the world will be tuning in to witness the world's best players, including our own Sam Kerr, take to the field.
"The State Government threw its support behind the 'As One' bid last year to ensure we would be in on the action of one of the world's biggest spectacles.
"Every year women's sport gets bigger, and hosting the World Cup right here in Perth will provide a unique opportunity to grow women's football in this State, and Perth's reputation on the world stage."
As stated by Tourism Minister Paul Papalia:
"The 2023 Women's World Cup will not only entice visitors to WA, but also showcase Perth to audiences of up to one billion people over the course of the event.
"The media exposure of a World Cup is invaluable. The national and international coverage of the competition will help promote our wonderful city as a premier sporting and travel destination.
"Securing a global spectacle of this kind demonstrates Perth and WA's ongoing development as vibrant, desirable travel destinations. The benefits from hosting the tournament will flow through to our tourism and hospitality industries and the wider economy, helping to create jobs."
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray:
"Hosting a world-class international event such as the FIFA Women's World Cup provides inspiration to the entire community, especially for our young and upcoming female soccer players.
"With the world's best teams playing for World Cup glory, the people of Perth will be able to cheer them on at home in what will be a truly memorable experience.
"Perth's major sporting venues have repeatedly shown their ability to host successful and well-attended major international events, and the FIFA Women's World Cup will be yet another of these."
