Matildas attendance record expected to be broken as World Cup opener moved to Stadium Australia

The Matildas’ attendance record is expected to be broken with their World Cup opener against Ireland moved to Accor Stadium in Sydney.

Australia’s home World Cup is set to kick off on July 20 and was originally scheduled to take place at the recently-renovated Allianz Stadium.

The stadium holds just over 45,000 spectators, but due to a demand for tickets, the fixture has been moved to the 85,000-capacity Stadium Australia.

We’re gonna need a bigger stadium 🏟️

Our opening match of the #FIFAWWC against the Republic of Ireland has an updated venue, moving to Stadium Australia! #WeAreMatildas #BeyondGreatness

— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) January 30, 2023

The stadium is synonymous with many of Australia’s iconic football moments and is now set to be home to a crowning moment for the Matildas.

The Australian Women’s Team’s current attendance record currently stands at 36,109 which came in a matchup against the United States.

Given the demand for tickets and the upgrade in stadium, coupled with the fact that is the World Cup opener - it is expected that the record will well and truly be smashed.

The Homebush venue was only set to play host to knockout games and to be the stage for the World Cup final.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson was delighted with the change and noted that it proved that the Matildas are ‘one of Australia’s most loved sporting teams’.

Johnson said, via Fox Sports: “It’s very exciting news.

“The move from Sydney Football Stadium to Stadium Australia is big for Australian football and highlights the confidence which we have in the Matildas to draw a huge crowd for the first match of the tournament in Australia.

“This is a major worldwide competition, and it really places Australia and New Zealand right at the heart and the centre of world football for a month.

“As we witnessed in 2022, these competitions transcend sport and really bring the Australian community together.

“This move, which Football Australia strongly advocated for, completely aligns with our positioning of the Matildas as one of our two iconic national teams and one of Australia’s most loved sporting teams.

“It will ensure that more people can now be a part of the opening match of the CommBank Matildas at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”

Last year, women’s football proved to be one of the most popular sports in Europe.

The Euro final between England and Germany was attended by 87,192.

Meanwhile, the Champions League matchup between Barcelona and Wolfsburg was attended by 91,648.