Five Australian cities and four in New Zealand will host matches at the Women’s World Cup in 2023, with the tournament getting underway in Auckland and concluding with the final at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium.
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Dunedin, Hamilton and Wellington have also been chosen as hosts. Australia and New Zealand will host one semifinal each, with the full schedule to be announced later this year, FIFA said.
"The appointment of the nine host cities represents a major milestone for the next FIFA women's World Cup, as well as for players and fans across Australia, New Zealand and around the world," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
Football Australia President Chris Nikou said: "The women's World Cup 2023 will be the biggest sporting event on Australian soil since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, showcasing Australia and New Zealand to a global audience of over a billion people."
New Zealand Football president Johanna Wood said it would be a privilege to co-host the tournament with Australia, adding: "We have and will continue to work with our partners to deliver the biggest, most exciting and best tournament to date."
Australia and New Zealand qualify for the World Cup as hosts. The tournament will be the first women's World Cup to feature 32 teams.
FA has forecast an extra 400,000 girls and women will take up the sport in Australia as a result of the World Cup.
Australian Rules football and rugby league remain the most dominant winter sports in the country but Nikou said local authorities needed to build more football infrastructure.
"The growth of the sport has been phenomenal but the growth of the infrastructure needs to catch up,” he told reporters.
"We need to be working with governments to support the biggest participation sport, the most multicultural sport in the country."
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