The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup set attendance records for women's sport and is widely credited with transforming public interest in women's soccer in the United States.
Key Facts
- Total attendance
- 1,194,000 (record until 2015) spectators
- Average attendance per match
- 37,319 spectators
- Final attendance (Rose Bowl)
- 90,185 spectators
- Tournament profit
- 4 million on $30 million budget USD
- Teams in tournament
- 16 (up from 12 in 1995)
- Final result
- USA defeated China, 5–4 on penalties
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Building on the success of the 1996 Olympic women's soccer tournament, FIFA expanded the Women's World Cup to sixteen teams for the first time. The United States was selected as host, and organizers anticipated high demand by scheduling matches in large American football stadiums across eight venues.
Held from June 19 to July 10, 1999, the tournament drew record crowds and television audiences. The final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena drew 90,185 spectators, an international record for a women's sporting event. The United States defeated China 5–4 in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw, with Brandi Chastain scoring the decisive kick.
The tournament was widely described as a watershed moment for women's soccer in the United States, spurring increased participation and fan interest. It led directly to the founding of the Women's United Soccer Association, the first professional women's soccer league in the country, though financial difficulties caused it to fold after three seasons.
Result
at Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California