FIFA Women's World Cup: Gianni Infantino hails the World Cup as a 'great success' as FIFA boss praises record attendances in Australia and New Zealand

FIFA president Gianni Infantino was a 'happy man' as he saluted the 'great success' of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which has already set record attendances despite the tournament being less than a week old.

More than 1.5 million match tickets have been sold, which has already exceeded FIFA's original target for July 20-August 20 tournament being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

The total attendance after the first 16 matches was 459,547, a 54 per cent increase from the first 16 games of the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

'I would really like to express a huge thank you to New Zealand and to Australia for hosting us here,' Infantino said.

'We often say that football unites the world. New Zealand and Australia are uniting the world Down Under.

'I'm a happy man, and there are hundreds of thousands of happy men, women, girls, and boys who come to the matches and millions and millions watching it from home, so a great success.

Read more: https://sportzpoint.com/football/fifa-president-claims-a-football-world-cup-every-two-years-is-surely-now-a-possibility/

'Great games, great goals, and some underdogs who create some surprises or give the favourites a tough time, all the ingredients are there already from the start.'

Speaking on the first round group stage matches Infantino said:

"The matches are of an extreme quality. I think this is also one of the features of this World Cup. For the first time 32 countries , eight debutants. And great games. Great games, great goals, fights some underdogs who create some surprises or give a tough time to the favourites."

He continued, "I mean, all the ingredients are there already from the start. Normally for a tournament for the World Cup it takes a couple of match days to really enter in the mood. Well, here we are in the mood and we have great games, great goals, great atmosphere. The World Cup – there is nothing like a World Cup."

A full house of more than 50,000 fans is expected at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night when the Matildas meet Nigeria.

Despite the absence of injured skipper Sam Kerr, Australia can book a place in the round-of-16 with a Group B game to spare by beating the African nation.