4,000 football-loving fansjoined a festival of football on the Sydney Harbour Bridge

The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on Gadigal land was transformed into a festival of football last week in a celebration of culture, bringing together diverse peo­ple and communities to mark the 25-day countdown until the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 tournament.

Amidst the sparkling back­drop of the Sydney Harbour, 4,000 fans kicked-off festivities on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and took part in this once in a lifetime opportunity for the FIFA Women’s World Cup ‘Unity Celebration’.

Hosted by former Australia international and FIFA Women in Football Leadership partic­ipant, Amy Duggan, soaking up the buzzing festival atmo­sphere were grassroots football and multicultural communities, local and international football greats including FIFA Legend Joy Fawcett, NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, John Graham, representatives from co-host Member Associations Football Australia and New Zealand Football, as well as FIFA officials.

Several of the tournament’s Beyond Greatness Champions were also in attendance, and they helped to carry the flags of the 32 nations preparing to compete on the international stage.

Eager to celebrate the tournament and the talented players who will represent the very best of women’s football, fans gathered on the world-re­nowned landmark to hear a preview of the tournament’s official song, dance to the tournament’s ‘Unity Beat’, and view live cultural performanc­es and presentations.

Representing the tourna­ments’ Beyond Greatness™ slogan and distinctive cultural elements, the 17-metre-tall Unity Jersey was unveiled in spectacular fashion on the Syd­ney Harbour Bridge. The Unity Jersey design reflects the vi­brant local landscapes and rich colours of the two host coun­tries, building a palette based on the rainforests, earth, mountains, cities, and water. A radial motif featuring 32 co­lourful squares celebrates the 32 participating nations coming together, serving as a visual testament to the spirit, values and diversity that defines the sport and tournament.

Speaking at the event, FIFA Council Member, Johanna Wood, said: “What a fabulous morning of football, culture and community coming to­gether – a fitting stage to set the scene for what is to come in 25 days. We are committed to delivering an exceptional tournament and experience that will not only captivate the hearts and minds of football fans but also empower women in sport across the globe. We are ready to go Beyond Great­ness and football, once again, has demonstrated how it unites the world.”

NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, John Graham, said: “Today we stand on one of Australia’s iconic structures, excited to host the world’s best players and their passion­ate football fans in NSW. I am excited to have 11 matches scheduled here in NSW and welcoming all the world class football teams and their fans at what is set to be the biggest FIFA Women’s World Cup ever.

“This tournament has the potential to be one of the big­gest sporting events in Sydney since the 2000 Olympics and the NSW Government is happy to support the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023,” he conclud­ed.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will run from July 20 to August 20, 2023 across five Australian host cities: Sydney/Gadigal, Melbourne/ Naarm, Brisbane/Meaanjin, Adelaide/Tarntanya and Perth/ Boorloo and four New Zea­land host cities, Auckland/ Tāmaki Makaurau, Hamilton/ Kirikiriroa, Dunedin/Ōtepoti and Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara. — FIFA.com