With the FIFA Women’s World Cup set to wrap up this weekend in Sydney – with Australia still in contention – ICC Sydney will host FIFA’s global gathering to discuss the development of women’s football and the wider impact of the game on women and girls. The event is worth an estimated $1.2 million to Sydney.
“We are at a remarkable moment in the development of women’s football,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“As we witness the greatest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup – with records being broken on a daily basis – it is essential that we also maintain this momentum across all aspects of our sport by staging the second FIFA Women’s Football Convention at Sydney’s iconic International Convention Centre on 18-19 August.”
The Australia-France game on Saturday night was the most watched television program of 2023 so far, eclipsing the record set by the Australian-Denmark game earlier last week.
“This convention follows the inaugural edition in France in 2019. But in four short years – and backed by FIFA’s dedicated funding through a global pandemic – it is wonderful to see how quickly women’s football has advanced,” said Infantino.
“I look forward to joining friends and colleagues from across the world of women’s football to ensure the momentous things we are achieving here in Australia and New Zealand are used to further boost the sport – and to ensure this tournament not only inspires a new generation of female footballers, but also empowers a new generation of leaders.”
FIFA’s secretary general Fatma Samoura said the Australia-New Zealand tournament had been a “gamechanger” for women’s football.
“The crowds, the atmosphere and the quality of football we have seen already has been exceptional. I look forward to reflecting on that success and taking another enormous step to building on it at the Second FIFA Women’s Football Convention,” said Samoura.
Attending the conference in Sydney will be some 211 football associations from around the world, invited by FIFA, as well as other global stakeholders.
“While the FIFA Women’s World Cup has been an incredible event to entertain global audiences and showcase women’s sporting excellence, the FIFA Women’s Football Convention 2023 in Sydney is where advances in the business and the human sides of the world game will be made, creating a legacy to embrace, educate and empower women around the world through football,” said BESydney’s CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith.
“It also provides Sydney with the opportunity to promote and profile NSW’s sporting excellence and capabilities in hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and the FIFA Women’s Football Convention.”
