Ireland’s World Cup opener against Australia has been moved from Sydney Football Stadium to the 83,500 capacity Stadium Australia.
FIFA on Monday night confirmed the switch for the July 20 clash, which came about due to soaring demand for tickets for the match.
It’s the second game of the tournament and the first involving co-hosts Australia, with New Zealand kicking off the finals earlier that evening against Norway in Auckland.
Sydney Football Stadium, which was originally pencilled in as the venue for Ireland’s first ever World Cup match, can accommodate 42,500.
However, the demand for tickets was so high that FIFA were forced to consider a switch to the larger Sydney venue, which hosted the 2000 Olympics.
All tickets already purchased for the game will remain valid for Stadium Australia, while the additional capacity will be available on public sale via the FIFA Ticketing Portal on Friday, February 24.
Over half a million tickets have already been sold for this summer's tournament with Ireland ranked ninth amongst the 32 participating nations of ticket purchasers.
FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura explained the stadium switch, saying: "FIFA’s mission is to organise the biggest and best Women’s World Cup in history this year, and fans, those who bring colour, passion, and atmosphere to Stadiums will be such an integral part of the tournament’s success.
"With this in mind, we have taken a decision that will enable over 100,000 fans to attend the opening matchday, providing more opportunities for supporters to engage with the FIFA Women’s World Cup as a month of football we will never forget gets underway."
