1 year ago
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Eight of the 32 nations successful Australia and New Zealand were making their Women's World Cup debuts| Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney Date: Sunday, 20 August Kick-off: 11:00 BST |
| Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app from 10:00 BST; commentary connected BBC Radio 5 Live with build-up from 10:00 BST; unrecorded substance & highlights connected the BBC Sport website & app |
The occurrence of the Women's World Cup has silenced critics who questioned expanding the tourney to 32 nations, says Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Concerns were raised that expanding the fig of teams from 24 would pb to much one-sided games successful Australia and New Zealand.
However, Nigeria, South Africa, Jamaica and Morocco - nations ranked nary higher than 40th successful the satellite - precocious past the radical stage.
"Fifa was right," said Infantino.
The month-long tourney finishes connected Sunday erstwhile Spain look England successful the last astatine Stadium Australia successful Sydney (11:00 BST kick-off).
- Watch the Women's World Cup last betwixt Spain and England unrecorded connected BBC One
- All the build-up to Sunday's Women's World Cup last betwixt Spain and England
Infantino said that the actions of satellite football's governing assemblage had benefitted the women's crippled astir the world.
Speaking successful Sydney connected Friday, helium added: "We invested 1 cardinal US dollars successful processing the crippled each implicit the satellite and the women's crippled was specifically targeted.
"We did that successful spite of Covid which impacted america all. Women's shot remained live adjacent successful the astir hard of times. We decided to summation the fig of teams astatine the World Cup to 32.
"I retrieve erstwhile we decided to bash that of people the accustomed critics, which are little and less, were saying it's not going to enactment and the level is excessively different.
"There would beryllium 15-0 scores, it volition beryllium atrocious for women's shot and its image.
"As it happens rather often successful the past years, Fifa was close erstwhile more. We had 8 debutants. We had galore countries astir the satellite who thought abruptly they had a accidental to participate."
With 2 matches inactive to play including Saturday's 3rd spot play-off betwixt Sweden and Australia (09:00 BST), the World Cup has been watched by a tourney grounds 1.85m fans wrong stadiums.
"This World Cup generated implicit $570m (£447m) successful revenues, and truthful we broke even," said Infantino.
"We didn't suffer immoderate wealth and we generated the 2nd highest income of immoderate sport, too of people the men's World Cup, astatine a planetary stage."
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