Supporters of Panama cheer during their match against France at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 2, 2023. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino spoke highly of the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, calling it "the best FIFA Women's World Cup ever".
CANBERRA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proclaimed the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand a great event.
Infantino on Wednesday joined Football Australia (FA) executives at an event hosted by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Parliament House in Canberra to celebrate the ongoing Women's World Cup and its impact on the country.
The World Cup - the first ever held in Oceania - has more than 1.8 million tickets sold across the two host nations.
After holding the Women's World Cup trophy aloft with Albanese, Infantino said that the World Cup has united "the entire world".
"Football is so important for society, for inclusion, for the community, for economic growth, for physical health, for mental health and for happiness," he said, according to the FA website on Thursday.
Supporters of Australia cheer for the team before their match against Canada at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, on July 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Xu)
"It is important for children because through football and playing football, they learn. They learn how to play as a team, how to count on their teammates, how to win, but also how to lose.
"This tournament is a great event, and you are all really fantastic - a proud country, a country with a rich, rich history, a country which has put up the best FIFA Women's World Cup ever."
Australia's national women's team, the Matildas, beat Olympic champions Canada 4-0 on Monday night to avoid an early exit from the tournament.
James Johnson, chief executive of FA, said the Matildas' run at their home World Cup would leave a profound lasting legacy, highlighting that the record-breaking 1.8 million ticket sales to date is a significant leap from the 1.1 million tickets sold in France in 2019.
"We are witnessing a landmark moment in the history of football, not just for Australia and New Zealand, but for the world at large," he said. ■
