The 2019 Women’s World Cup, taking place in France from June 7 – July 7, is a highly anticipated event. There has been a surge in popularity in women’s soccer in recent years and in particular, a huge increase in interest in the Women’s World Cup and the 2019 tournament is set to be one of the biggest – not just in soccer – but in women’s sports. To give some perspective on this growth, according to Statista, the average attendance in 1991 was 19,615. Four years later in the US, a staggering 37,319. The host country certainly has an influence on the figures. The average attendance at the 2015 World Cup in Canada was 26,029. With France hosting, it’s likely to massively boost attendance figures for the 2019 tournament.
While this interest has increased worldwide, nowhere has it had such a dramatic spike, than in North America.
So, let’s get right into it – here are four factors that are contributing to the surge in popularity of the Women’s World Cup.
- The Success of the United States National Team.
- The Host Nation – France.
- The Quality of Play.
- The Momentum of the 2018 World Cup.
The Success of the United States National Team
This is one of the biggest contributors to the rise in popularity of women’s soccer. The United States Women’s soccer team is very successful – even more so than their male counterparts.
Since the inception of the Women’s World Cup in 1991 – this tournament taking place in China – the United States national team have won three tournaments. Germany are in second place, with two.
In 2015, the Women’s World Cup Final between the United States and Japan was one of the most watched soccer matches in the history of American television. Now that’s a monumental accolade! Roughly 23 million – yes, million – Americans tuned in to watch the United States take their third title. For comparison, the 2014 Men’s World Cup Final was watched by an average of 17 million Americans.
This upwards trend follows the 1999 World Cup victory by the United States – which was when the sport really went global. According to US Youth Soccer, soccer participation went up by 37% in the last twenty years!
There’s no doubt that the success of the United States Women’s team has spurred the surge in the popularity in the sport, and we can expect to see similar interest and viewing figures next year in France, which brings us nicely to the next reason…
The Host Nation – France
Who doesn’t want to go to France? It’s a huge tourist destination and a bucket list trip for a lot of people – particularly those from North America. The 2019 Women’s World Cup will be taking place in nine host venues. France is an incredible host country – each city an amazing destination in itself.
Whether it’s Grenoble, Nice, Montpellier, Lyon, Reims, Paris, Le Havre, Valenciennes or Rennes, you’ll find historic venues to modern state of the art stadiums. Whether you’re keen to explore the romantic metropolis of Paris, the history of Lyon, the mountains of Grenoble or the glamorous beaches of Nice – France really does offer it all and the Women’s World Cup provides the perfect excuse to finally take that trip that you’ve always dreamed of!
Beautiful hotels and no shortage of things to see and do (as if the soccer won’t be enough!), you’ll be spoiled for choice!
This phenomenal location, paired with one of the biggest soccer tournaments in the sport, and you’ve got a very, very tempting combination.
The Quality of Play
Women’s soccer has come on leaps and bounds in the past few decades. This comes from the investment in the sport following successes of women’s soccer teams such as the United States which has led to increased exposure and recognition. There has always been a huge roster of talent, but the recent successes and exposure of the sport has led to that increased investment and as a result, an even better standard of play.
A women’s soccer match will provide all of the ups, downs, excitements and disappointment, along with a heavy dose of skill, flair and finesse that upon watching, quickly justifies the enormous viewing figures for finals.
A lot of players are now becoming household names too. The United States, unsurprisingly, boasting some of the most recognizable ones.
Carli Lloyd for example, who scored a sensational 16 minute hat trick in 1999. Hope Solo has cemented herself as one of the best goalkeepers in women’s soccer and Alex Morgan has gained international attention for her attacking prowess, scoring 92 goals in 148 appearances for the United States. That’s an impressive record!
The skill, talent and quality of play will be on full display in France for the 2019 Women’s World Cup come June next year, and we can’t wait to see what it has to offer.
The Momentum of the 2018 World Cup
By no means is this taking away from the aforementioned points, though it is worth mentioning. The success of France in the 2018 Men’s World Cup will act as a catalyst going forward into the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
The host country are world champions, and now as the best in women’s world soccer are set to compete for honors, all eyes will again be on France. Can they make a challenge, or will the might of the United States sweep the competition aside? It seems like it’s a lifetime away, but next Summer will be here before we know it, and we can’t wait.
There you have it, four reasons we think are contributing to the surge in popularity and interest in the 2019 Women’s World Cup and in general, women’s soccer.
France is certain to be a brilliant host, with each city offering their own attractions and a diverse range of things to see and do. The talent and standard of play will bring exciting and memorable football, just like past tournaments.
Are you going to the 2019 Women’s World Cup? Follow your team all the way with one of our fully customizable 2019 Women’s World Cup packages and be part of what’s gearing up to be a historic event in the history of soccer.
Have questions about how the Women’s World Cup works? Then check out our Women’s World Cup Ultimate Guide, or feel free to get in touch and connect with us on Twitter.