FIFA Women‘s World Cup 23 - Success ON and OFF the pitch

Australia and New Zealand hosted the ninth FIFA Women's World Cup in the summer of 2023, the biggest event in history for women in sports. In addition to the champion Spain, Axess customer Eden Park also had a special reason to celebrate.

Eden Park in Auckland is the largest stadium in New Zealand. In a regular year, up to 50,000 rugby and cricket fans visit on game day. But in 2023, the stadium was all about the FIFA Women's World Cup. As one of ten venues in Australia and New Zealand, Eden Park hosted representatives of the women's soccer elite on no fewer
than nine occasions - including the opening match. Over the course of the tournament, more than 350,000 fans entered through the stadium's turnstiles.

World class by Axess

Before the tournament, Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner said: “We are committed to ensuring all of the Park’s facilities and infrastructure are world-class
and worthy of hosting this significant tournament”. To back up the words
with action, Sautner engaged Axess with a special assignment. Eden Park was the only stadium at the World
Cup to be upgraded to fully meet the requirements of FIFA (and ticketing partner Secu-tix). All other stadiums in Australia/New Zealand were not able to integrate Secu-tix. Only Axess' system was sophisticated enough to allow Eden Park to ensure both smooth access and seamless reporting.

Memorable moments
Eden Park Stadium delivered and played its part in the success of the World Cup. Spectator numbers throughout the tournament have surpassed all previous records for a soccer match - men's or women's - in New Zealand.
“What we’ve witnessed at Eden Park and around New Zealand and Australia is an unforgettable chapter in our history. The memories created here will be remembered for a lifetime,” said Mr Sautner.