Host cities of FIFA Women's World Cup locked in

The host cities and stadiums for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup set to be held in Australia and New Zealand have been announced.

The first-ever co-hosted Women's World Cup and first on Australian and New Zealand soil will get underway at Auckland's Eden Park and wrap up with the final at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

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Australian venues Cooper Stadium (Adelaide), Brisbane Stadium, AAMI Park (Melbourne), HBF Park (Perth), Stadium Australia and Sydney Football Stadium will all host the ninth edition of the Women's World Cup.

And the New Zealand venues locked in are Eden Park (Auckland), Dunedin Stadium, Waikato Stadium (Hamilton) and Wellington Stadium.

Australia and New Zealand will host a semi-final each and the full schedule will be released later this year.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the two countries were set to host what's a significant event on and off the pitch.

"The appointment of the nine host cities represents a major milestone for the next FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, as well as for players and football fans across Australia, New Zealand and around the world," Infantino said.

"Building on the incredible success of France 2019 both on and off the pitch, the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 and nine host cities across Australia and New Zealand will not only showcase the world's very best players, but will also provide a powerful platform to unite and inspire people, transform lives and create a lasting legacy for women's football in Australia and New Zealand and around the world."

Football Australia president Chris Nikou labelled the 2023 Women's World Cup the most major sports event on Australian soil in 21 years.

"The FIFA 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 $1 billion people," Nikou said.

"Today's announcement of the host cities and match venues for the tournament is a major milestone in the build-up to the next FIFA Women's World Cup – a tournament that will unite nations, inspire generations and provide our diverse and multicultural game with the perfect platform to grow over the coming years."

FIFA, in conjunction with Football Australia and New Zealand Football, followed a comprehensive process over the last eight months to decide on the host cities and stadiums.

An in-depth analysis of infrastructure, facilities, training sites and accommodation was pivotal to the planning.

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