Football Victoria (FV) celebrates alongside our Victorian football community today, with Melbourne announced by FIFA this morning as a host city for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.
Melbourne’s world-class football facility, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, will play host to matches during the tournament, with a provisional schedule to be announced at a later date.
The announcement follows an extensive eight-month review process involving each of the 12 candidate Host Cities and 13 stadiums.
Melbourne’s strong football DNA and expertise running events on the world stage will combine to deliver an unprecedented showcase of female football for the wider community.
The announcement only firms FV’s resolve to ensure the vision for the Home of the Matildas in Victoria becomes a reality, in time for the tournament in 2023.
FV Acting President, Antonella Care, is excited by the opportunities the tournament will deliver for Victoria.
“This is a monumental day and a pivotal moment for women and girls’ football in our nation and particularly, our state. The lasting legacy of hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ matches cannot be underestimated and we celebrate this wonderful announcement for Victoria today,” Care said.
“The eyes of the world will be on our great city - but importantly, Victorians will be up close and personal with the ultimate role models for the women’s game.”
“We are thrilled to have women’s football top of mind across our nation and look forward to welcoming more women and girls into our beautiful game in the coming years.”
FV Executive Manager Growth and Inclusion, Karen Pearce, believes the tournament offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to progress gender equity in football.
“Football Victoria has a committed target of gender equity within our game by 2027. Having the very best female players in the world on our doorstep for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ is an opportunity like no other to inspire and enable more women and girls to enter our diverse, inclusive football community.”
Football Australia Chairman, Chris Nikou, celebrated today's host city announcement.
“The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ will be the biggest sporting event on Australian soil since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, showcasing Australia and New Zealand to a global audience of over one billion people.
“Today’s announcement of the Host Cities and match venues around the country for the tournament, including Melbourne and the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, is a major milestone in the build-up to the next FIFA Women’s World Cup™ - a tournament that will unite nations, inspire generations, and provide our diverse and multicultural game with the perfect platform to grow over the coming years.”