Crowds at the Asian Cup have been hailed by organizers as a haven for the women’s game but the tournament has sparked familiar concerns of gender inequality and a stark divide between rich and emerging nations.
More than two years after co-hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Australians have once again shown their passion for international football, breaking attendance records for the annual showpiece.
Another big crowd for Saturday’s final between Australia and Japan at Sydney Australia Stadium will lift the total attendance to more than 300,000, more than five times the previous record of 59,910 at the 2010 event in China.
A crowd of 60,279 at Australia Stadium watched Australia’s 3-3 draw against South Korea, the largest ever in a Women’s Asian Cup match. It also broke the group stage record of 50,276 who watched 2015 hosts Australia play Oman in the men’s tournament.
The popularity and success of the host Matildas has boosted the figures but Australia’s immigrant communities have also come out to support other visiting teams.
The crowd of 17,367 for Japan’s semi-final against South Korea was a record for the tournament involving two non-host nations.
