USWNT 2023 attendance best since 2019

Now that the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) has completed all of its games for the 2023 calendar year, it’s time to look at how the USWNT 2023 attendance did.

In 2023, the USWNT averaged an attendance of 17,961. That came throughout 12 home games in friendlies and the She Believes Cup. Averaging just shy of 18,000 fans at its home games was the team’s best tally since 2019. That year, also a Women’s World Cup year, saw 25,122 fans attend games on average. Therefore, while the attendance in 2023 was an improvement over the last three years, it is a significant drop-off from four years ago.

The following list of games breaks down the attendance at each of the USWNT’s games throughout 2023.

USWNT attendance in 2023 lower than last two Women’s World Cup years

While the USWNT attendance in 2023 was up compared to the last few years, it pales in comparison to the previous two Women’s World Cup years in 2019 and 2015. There are two key reasons for those differences.

First, the USWNT turned in its worst-ever performance at the Women’s World Cup. The side did not get the Victory Tour it hoped for. In 2015, the USWNT had nine home friendlies following their championship in Canada. Four of those games drew over 30,000 fans. One of those four drew over 40,000. In 2019, it had a seven-game Victory Tour. Another four games drew over 30,000 fans. Once again, one cracked the 40,000 mark.

Second, they did not have a send-off series of games prior to their departure for Australia and New Zealand. In 2015, Jill Ellis’ side played three games in the lead-up to the Women’s World Cup, all of which were sellouts. Four years later, the USWNT had a similar three-game send-off series with three fabulous crowds. This year they had just one send-off game. That deprived the team of the support it has reliably had the last two Women’s World Cup years. It’s also worth noting that the lack of send-off games is not unique to the USWNT.

New MLS stadiums getting plenty of USWNT games too

As has been the case with the USMNT in the last few years, the newest MLS stadiums are getting plenty of USWNT team games as well.

Four of the venues used by the USWNT in 2023 are MLS stadiums that opened in the last three years. Geodis Park in Nashville opened in 2022. The Nashville SC stadium hosted its first USWNT game in February. Q2 Stadium in Austin opened in 2021. In April, it welcomed the USWNT for the second time against Ireland. CityPark in St. Louis opened this year and hosted its first USWNT game in April. Finally, TQL Stadium in Cincinnati got in on hosting the USWNT in September with their second USWNT game.

USWNT with opportunity

The next several years will be paramount for the game of soccer in the United States. Copa America in 2024, Club World Cup in 2025, and World Cup in 2026.

Following those tournaments, the next opportunity for the USWNT comes in 2028 with the Olympics in LA. Additionally, on December 8, 2023, US Soccer announced a bid to co-host the 2027 Women’s World Cup with Mexico. Should it be successful, the US would be the first nation to host the Women’s World Cup three times (having previously hosted in 1999 and 2003).

Hosting the World Cup in 1994 was a seminal moment in the history of the USMNT, much the same way that hosting the Women’s World Cup in 1999 was a seminal moment in the history of the USWNT. Should they get another one on home soil, support for the team could reach a high.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.