In the months following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, interest in women’s football globally has spiked. Interest in the leagues themselves typically do see a bump in interest after a big international competition, but the effects of this World Cup, the first where the women’s competitions rights were sold as a separate entity to the men’s, have been particularly profound. 

Global interest has reached 7% of consumers, up 29% on figures reported at the beginning of the year. Considering that 22% of consumers globally are fans of international men’s competitions, a figure which has declined from 24% in Q3 2019, the rapid acceleration of growth in the women’s game in just a few years is even more impressive. South Africa, Brazil and Sweden see the highest rates of interest, but for joint hosts Australia and New Zealand, the tournament generated the greatest growth. Reported interest in the Women’s World Cup in Australia grew 247% in 2023, from 3% in Q1 to 9% in Q3.

This is a major achievement for the joint hosts, after the logistics of hosting the event in the  a southern hemisphere were so hotly debated prior to the tournament. The growth highlights the importance of hosting the tournament in emerging women’s football markets, to accelerate development of the game globally.

The success of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in generating interest among women and girls cannot be understated. In Australia, the percentage of women reporting interest in football grew 126% from Q1 2023 to Q3 2023. Growth in interest in football among women was in the double digits across nine other markets, including India, many European markets, Thailand and South Africa. It can be argued that the atmosphere around women’s games is more family-friendly and less combative, which makes the sport more appealing to both women and families. Tapping into this uniqueness versus men’s football, will help women’s football not only bring new audiences to the game, but also help girls who come with their parents to start playing too.

A continuing focus on free-to-air coverage of big international women’s tournaments will be an essential part of the future growth of the sport. It will kick-start the cycle of growth by not only generating new fanbases, but also helping the assimilation of football as something women can participate in, in turn, growing the sport by widening the talent pool available. In the wake of a very successful World Cup, it is now up to domestic football bodies to capitalise on the hype and drum up interest and engagement in national women’s football in the period between major global tournaments.