The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is just a few days away, and excitement is building for the tournament. For Megan Rapinoe and the rest of the USWNT, the tournament is a test to complete the three-peat. However, it is also becoming a test for FIFA to even fill up the seats in the stadiums for the games.

This year’s Women’s World Cup is particularly special. As it is the first time that the competition will be held in two nations, Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, 32 teams will be competing for the first time, adding to the anticipation. With the women’s sports revolution gaining momentum and drawing larger numbers of fans, it was expected that ticket sales for the tournament would reflect this enthusiasm. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case.

In a desperate attempt, FIFA is giving away free tickets

Despite the growing popularity of women’s sports, the pre-sales for this year’s World Cup have been disappointingly slow. In an effort to address the issue of poor ticket sales, FIFA has made the decision to give away 20,000 free tickets. These are for the games in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Dunedin.

This move comes as a response to concerns about the slow pace of sales in New Zealand. According to FIFA chief women’s soccer officer Sarai Bareman, attracting fans to the stadiums in New Zealand poses a greater challenge due to the sport’s lower profile in the country. The hope is that by offering free tickets, more people will be encouraged to attend the matches and fill up the stadiums.

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This decision by FIFA is seen as an attempt to avoid a repeat of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. This World Cup faced quite a scrutiny after many matches were played in front of half-empty stadiums. It is clear that the organizers want to ensure that the tournament receives the attention and support it deserves. However, this situation raises questions about the optimistic statements made by Megan Rapinoe.

Megan Rapinoe didn’t see these underwhelming numbers coming

In a past interview with the BBC, Rapinoe spoke about the potential impact of the Women’s World Cup. She expressed her optimism by saying, “It feels like a real opportunity to blow the lid off just in terms of fanfare and media and sponsorships and the larger business around this sport”.

Her words hinted at the expectation of a huge fan turnout and media coverage for the tournament. She also firmly believed this tournament would be the turning point for the growth of the women’s game. The reality, however, seems to be quite different. Despite the buzz surrounding women’s soccer and the popularity of players like Rapinoe, the World Cup is struggling to attract a significant number of spectators.

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What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.