Hosting a World Cup will 'accelerate our game like nothing else'

Jane Fernandez is pulling the strings behind the AsOne World Cup bid, so far with very impressive results. She says the results so far will be nothing compared to the results of actually hosting.

“Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ here (in Australia and New Zealand) will accelerate our game like nothing else,” Fernandez told the FFA Podcast.

“We (FFA) have said before that we are committed to reaching 50-50 in female and male participation, and that is what this competition is going to allow us to achieve.

“It is also going to help FIFA achieve some of their main targets – one being 60 million women and girls playing football right across the world by 2026.

“We can help them (FIFA) achieve that, we provide the best opportunity to achieve that goal.”

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She also spoke about the logistics involved in hosting the tournament, which is continually expanding as women's football reaches new heights.

“2023 will be the first time that FIFA has included a base camp option for a FIFA Women’s World Cup,” Fernandez explained.

“A base camp is a hotel and a training site, they get matched together, and that is where teams have the opportunity to base themselves throughout the whole competition, rather than moving from city to city.

“We have proposed over 54 sites for base camps across regional areas and also right across New Zealand – we want this competition to reach the length and the breadth of both countries.”