Before England and Spain stepped onto the pitch to crown a world champion, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup staged its closing ceremony at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Australian performer Tones and I, who collaborated on the official theme of the tournament, took center stage. The event wasn’t lacking in pageantry.
In terms of attendees for the closing ceremony, who failed to show up was perhaps most notable. Prince William didn’t make the trip to Australia and instead sent a video message to the Three Lionesses ahead of the final.
Beyond being a member of the British royal family, the Prince of Wales is the president of England’s Football Association. That he wouldn’t be there to see the women’s national team potentially lift a World Cup trophy rubbed many the wrong way.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup was the biggest ever both in terms of the countries represented (32) and the symbolic significance it’s likely to have.
Interest in women’s sports is on the rise both in the United States and around the world, and women’s soccer is riding that wave. Australia’s semifinal defeat to England was the country’s most-watched program since at least 2001.
FIFA has yet to announce where it’s holding the 2027 Women’s World Cup, but you can bet the tournament will represent another major step forward.