Record figures highlight popularity of women’s football ahead of World Cup

The women's World Cup is set to be one of the biggest sporting events of the year.

New figures released by football's global governing body FIFA have shown the soaring popularity of the women's game ahead of next month's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Speaking on Thursday just over five weeks out from the tournament's July 20th start date, FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed that over one million tickets had already been sold. [caption id="attachment_288653" align="alignnone" width="640"] FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the record-breaking ticket sale figures on Thursday. (Credit: Getty Images)[/caption] Surpassing this tally means that this iteration of the women's World Cup is set to be the best attended ever, breaking the record set by 2019's tournament in France. "The future is women, thanks to the fans for supporting what will be the greatest FIFA Women's World Cup ever!," Infantino said in a statement. Infantino, an often maligned figure in the world of football, went on to add that; "The momentum is building in the host countries and across the globe, and I look forward to seeing you there to witness the stars of women's football shine on the world stage". [caption id="attachment_288654" align="alignnone" width="640"] Ireland qualified for their first ever World Cup after Amber Barrett's goal gave Vera Pauw's side a 1-0 victory over Scotland. (Credit: Getty Images)[/caption] The news should come as little surprise to Irish football fans though, after it was announced earlier in the year that the Girls in Green would see their opening game against hosts Australia moved to the 83,500 capacity Stadium Australia due to soaring demand. In what will be an opening day curtain raiser for the World Cup, Vera Pauw's side will line out in front of a record crowd as they make their first ever appearance at the tournament. It was also announced this week that Irish players would receive at least €28,000 for their participation at the tournament, after FIFA unveiled a new method of distributing prize money to individuals rather than national federations. Football's governing body also revealed that the overall pot of allotted prize money had risen by over 300% from the previous World Cup, with €102 million set to be distributed amongst the tournament's participants. Related Articles:

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