On July 20, the 2023 Women’s World Cup kicked off in Australia and New Zealand. The opening match was between New Zealand and Norway. In an article, The Paper stated, “Women’s football is experiencing global development, and this World Cup will add another spark.”
The article mentioned, “With European women’s football as a representative and pioneer, the women’s football industry and standards of many countries around the world have entered a fast track of development—more professional leagues, higher attention, and more financial investment. It can be said that the expansion and high attention of this Women’s World Cup will further ignite the popularity of women’s football.”
The article introduced the rapid development trend of women’s football in Europe today: “According to a survey report by Deloitte: during the 2021-2022 season, the revenue of women’s Premier League clubs increased by 60% compared to previous seasons, even before England’s women’s team made history by winning the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro, showing a growing trend.
Now, women’s football in the Premier League has fully achieved professionalization. Former England women’s midfielder Karen Carney optimistically stated, ‘I believe that in ten years, this sport will become a billion-pound industry.’
In addition to England, women’s football in many parts of Europe has seen rapid development in recent years. Spain, France, the Netherlands, Italy… Many European countries that did not pay much attention to women’s football in the past have gradually established and improved their domestic leagues.
For example, last year’s UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final match between Barcelona Women’s FC and Wolfsburg Women’s FC attracted a staggering 91,648 spectators, setting a new record for attendance at a women’s football match.
The final of the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro between England and Germany also drew nearly 90,000 people to Wembley Stadium.
The rise in popularity naturally led to an improvement in competitive standards—the fact that seven out of the eight quarterfinalists at the 2019 Women’s World Cup were European teams is the best proof of this.
This World Cup is expected to further boost the popularity of women’s football. The article wrote, “According to estimates by the host countries, this World Cup is expected to sell a record-breaking 1.5 million tickets and attract over 2 billion viewers worldwide.
Looking back at the development history of women’s football in various countries, major tournaments have always been an important factor—far back, there was the commercialization attempt of the U.S. women’s national team after winning the World Cup and Olympic titles; more recently, the surge in domestic interest in England’s women’s football after winning the European Championship.
And our Chinese women’s football team, together with over 20 sponsors including Prada, has become a true golden brand.
With the arrival of another World Cup, it is destined to once again spark a wave of women’s football that will capture global attention—the fierce competition of players from all countries will not only contribute to thrilling matches but also showcase the brilliance of women’s football and its infinite potential for future development.”
