FIFA Women’s World Cup brings colour to Hamilton’s CBD

The Women’s World Cup has ended in Hamilton after a fierce matchup between Argentina and Sweden at FMG Stadium on August 2nd.

Sweden earned a well-fought victory, ending in a 2-0 result, a thrilling night for all Swedish fans.

With New Zealand already knocked out of the tournament following a draw to Switzerland in their final group-stage match, kiwi fans showed their support for Australia and Spain in the final as they battled until many minutes of added time came to a close.

Spain, winning 1-0, took home their first World Cup trophy; an unforgettable night and a wrap on the tournament for another four years.

Rebecka Blomqvist of Sweden celebrates with teammates after putting her team ahead against Argentina. Photo/ BUDA MENDES/GETTY IMAGES

The support, vibrance and abundance of energy throughout Hamilton during its time as a co-host city will be missed. For many, it has been an experience they will treasure for years to come.

Hamilton football enthusiasts, Ethan Bennett and Jordan Sing appreciated being able to attend the Portugal vs Vietnam game at Waikato Stadium and take in the atmosphere.

Bennett said, “I enjoyed being around passionate fans that you often don’t see in Hamilton or even New Zealand. The songs and atmosphere the supporters created added to an already enjoyable night out”.

Sing emphasised how it was “really encouraging as a football fan to see so many travelling supporters all dressed up and backing their nation”. Sing supported Bennett’s statement, “It’s not something that we Kiwis get to see often so it was a great experience”.

Telma Encarnaҫão scored Portugal’s first World Cup goal in Hamilton. Photo/ PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES

While the World Cup experience in Hamilton was short-lived, behind-the-scenes efforts to support the event were in the works for over two years.

Vanessa Williams, General Manager at Hamilton Central Business Association, was one of the people working alongside H3 Group on ideas and implementation of activations around the CBD.

She said “It has been awesome to be a part of this major event, from the inspirational messaging around women empowerment and sport to the positive economic implications for the city, being co-host to one of the biggest sporting tournaments in the world. The FIFA Women’s World Cup has certainly provided a colourful buzz to our central city!”.

Williams said the process included “being part of monthly meetings for the last two years and finding ways the businesses in the central city can support the FIFA Women’s World Cup”.

She said that with such a large international tournament, it was also important for local businesses to know what they can and can’t say regarding promoting their companies during this time to avoid breaking the Major Events Management Act.

After early concerns regarding ticket sales, reports now show that the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has seen record-breaking numbers, surpassing over 1.6 million ticket sales thus far, exceeding the projected target of 1.5 million.

The average attendance has increased by a staggering 48% compared to the last World Cup held in France. https://apnews.com/article/womens-world-cup-australia-new-zealand-ticket-record-3f1efb55b0fb860c7b7e30f1272c77d2