When the inaugural Fifa-backed Women’s World Cup took place in 1991, the tournament was given a weird title designed to distance it from the “real” competition – the one played by men. Notwithstanding a lack of resources and a belittling name, the “First Fifa Women’s World Championship for the M&Ms Cup” was an undeniable success and a beginning.
As the ninth Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, such crass chauvinism has largely disappeared. But the booming popularity of the female game continues to outstrip expectations. The demand for tickets for Australia’s opening game with the Republic of Ireland was such that the match had to be moved from a 45,000-capacity venue to Sydney’s Accor Stadium, which holds more than 80,000. A year after England’s Lionesses actually did bring football home by winning Euro 22, Australia’s Matildas look set to enjoy a similar level of passionate backing.
