Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023: CEO Dave Beeche says New Zealand leading Australia in ticket sales

Fifa Women’s World Cup chief executive has hit back at claims of low ticket sales in New Zealand, claiming the country is actually ahead of Australia.

David Beeche told the Herald, despite the ticket website showing only seven of 29 games in New Zealand were sold out or had low availability, they were beating the hosts across the Tasman in sales per capita.

However, underwhelming sales in the smaller nation have been noted by multiple Fifa personnel including Secretary General Fatma Samoura and the head of women’s football, Sarai Bareman.

In the past week, New Zealand’s Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson has urged Kiwis to get into the event and buy tickets. Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also did the same via social media.

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The comments all suggest that ticket sales in Aotearoa aren’t where Fifa hoped they would be.

A week from kick-off, 24 per cent of New Zealand matches are at or near sell-out. In Australia, they’re tracking at 77 per cent.

The unprecedented 20,000 ticket giveaway to four matches across New Zealand that Fifa announced yesterday, Beeche assured wasn’t a worrying sign. He said the announcement was more a celebration of the opposite.

“We’re happy with the progress,” he said confirming that Fifa had sold 1.25 million tickets – 50,000 off what Canada sold at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, which was the biggest of its kind.

Beeche said with the anticipated amount of VIP and corporate box personnel attending matches across the month, Australia and New Zealand will host the biggest Fifa Women’s World Cup.

“New Zealand per head of population is actually ahead of where Australia is,” Beeche told the Herald. “So population-wise, we’re doing well.

“We’re ahead of where we thought we would be and we’re on track.”

Beeche said the ticket giveaway isn’t a desperate measure to fill the stands – it’s about “enhancing the celebration off the back of what we know is already going to be a great tournament”.

“We’re going to be the biggest women’s sporting event of all time and this is about just enhancing the celebration and making it as available and accessible to as many Kiwis as possible.”

Beeche confirmed the games included in the giveaway across Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Dunedin were in lower demand than any other.

He said Fifa is encouraging fans to refrain from their true Kiwi style of being late to the party as tickets won’t be available at the gate, because of Fifa policy – which is not uncommon with events of this scale and around the world.

“We’re trying to educate people as much as possible to get their tickets before the day,” Beeche said.

Along with no gate sales, accessing purchased tickets via the ticketing app only has caused some concern for fans, however, Beeche again defends this case.

“Generally speaking, it’s been really positive, people are navigating it fine.

“We sold 1.25 million tickets – it’s gone reasonably well.

“I would say that there’s a healthy sphere available, that people can call if they are having any trouble,” said Beeche.

Beeche said he’s confident ticket sales will continue to grow throughout the month-long event.