Euronews spoke to FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the legacy of the World Cup on women's football.
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00:00 It was a tournament that broke new ground.
00:01 The first ever FIFA Women's World Cup on the continent
00:04 and first time winners too.
00:06 Australia and New Zealand will be remembered largely
00:08 for the co-host's incredible run to the semi-final,
00:11 which saw record-breaking TV viewerships
00:13 here in the country.
00:14 I spoke exclusively with the FIFA president,
00:16 Gianni Infantino, and asked him about the legacy
00:18 of the competition.
00:20 - I'm extremely happy, extremely proud.
00:22 This 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
00:25 has simply been the greatest, the best
00:28 FIFA Women's World Cup ever.
00:30 Great atmosphere, full stadiums in the streets,
00:33 everywhere, the people joyful, happy.
00:36 Australia and New Zealand have been really fantastic,
00:39 fantastic hosts.
00:41 Back home, two billion viewers in the stadiums,
00:45 two million viewers.
00:46 Many, many records were broken, surprises,
00:50 results that we couldn't expect.
00:52 Eight newcomers, a new world champion.
00:56 I mean, what do you want more?
00:58 (laughs)
00:59 - Going forward, what would you say is the legacy
01:02 of this competition?
01:03 - Well, I think this FIFA Women's World Cup
01:06 has really had a transformational impact
01:11 in society, definitely.
01:14 Down under in Australia and New Zealand,
01:16 that's what everyone here is telling me,
01:18 but even globally, people are now viewing
01:24 women's football in a completely different way
01:28 because for many it was maybe the first time
01:30 that they were watching a game and they see
01:32 that actually it's a great sport, great athletes,
01:35 great technical skills, great tactical skills,
01:38 great emotions, great passion, the same as for the men.
01:41 And with extremely joyful atmosphere.
01:46 So I think that everyone is looking now
01:53 at women's football in a completely different way.
01:57 And this is exactly what we wanted to achieve
01:59 and from here, we move to the next level.
02:03 - And is that level, would you say now,
02:05 in terms of the record-breaking figures
02:07 that we've seen so far in this competition,
02:09 do you think we'll ever, or do you envisage a time
02:12 where as many eyes are on this competition
02:14 in terms of the viewing numbers
02:15 as on the men's World Cups of the past?
02:17 - Well, I think the future is definitely
02:21 for women's football and it's not just a PR thing.
02:25 It's not just something that we say,
02:27 it's really the facts and the figures which show it.
02:31 And half of the world population are women.
02:37 So it is obvious that this is going to grow,
02:41 this is going to prosper.
02:43 And I mean, already now, there are not many men's
02:48 competitions which can compete
02:49 with this FIFA Women's World Cup.
02:52 So starting from there, I think the path is all open
02:57 for this to become as big as the men's World Cup.
03:01 - Really appreciate your time, thank you very much.
03:03 - Thank you, thank you so much.
03:04 - Thanks, Gianni.
03:06 - So the FIFA president is bullish
03:07 about the future of women's football.
03:09 Over here, it would seem that the tournament
03:10 has transformed the mindset of the sport.
03:13 The location of the next World Cup yet to be decided,
03:15 but whoever the hosts are, there'll be an expectation
03:18 that 2027 is even bigger than what we've seen here
03:21 in both Australia and New Zealand.
03:22 Sam Ashu for Euronews in Sydney.
03:25 [Whoosh]