Australia and New Zealand have confirmed a joint bid to co-host the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The trans-Tasman neighbours submitted their bid to Fifa before Friday’s bid deadline with aspirations of hosting the expanded 32-tournament in under four years’ time.
It is the first cross-federation bid for a Fifa World Cup, and if successful, will be the first Women’s World Cup held in the southern hemisphere.
Twelve host cities were announced as part of the united “As One” campaign, five in New Zealand and seven in Australia – Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney and Wellington.
The final is slated to be held at Sydney’s redeveloped 75,000-seater Olympic stadium in Homebush.
Matildas captain Sam Kerr said it would be a “dream come true” to run out in front of a home crowd at a World Cup.
“There is so much untapped potential, not just in Australia but right across Asia and the Pacific region, that I really do believe we would offer something incredibly special to Fifa,” she added. “I really believe that Australia and New Zealand would be incredible hosts to take the game forward.”
Fifa will reveal all the official bid books on Friday in Zurich, with Colombia, Japan, Brazil and Argentina also seeking to win hosting rights.
Football Federation Australia president Chris Nikou said he hoped a successful bid would deliver benefits for the game in the lead-up to, during and after the tournament.
“The decision to host the Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, two leading nations in the promotion of women’s football and gender equality, will accelerate the game at both the grassroots and professional levels, lighting a path for future generations of footballers, administrators, and fans in Asia-Pacific,” Nikou said.
Australia and New Zealand have recent history of staging successful major international tournaments – the 2015 cricket and the 2017 rugby league World Cups were co-productions.
“We know New Zealand and Australia can work as a team to deliver something unique and world class, while also creating a legacy for women and for football in our countries and across Asia and Oceania,” said Grant Robertson, New Zealand’s Minister for Sport and Recreation.
