100 Days and counting! Canada and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), the national governing body for soccer, will host FIFA’s Women’s World Cup 2015 in six cities across Canada from June 6th to July 5th. The CSA has hosted major FIFA tournaments in the past including the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1987, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2002, the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007 and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2014; all of which were hugely successful events. However, none of these compare to the significance of hosting a senior tournament like the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015. Not only will this be the largest single sporting event ever hosted on Canadian soil it will prove invaluable to supporting the CSA’s planned bid to host the 2026 Men’s World Cup – the largest sporting event in the world, dwarfing the Super Bowl and the Olympics!
The initial round of stadium passport ticket sales is complete and preliminary reports indicate strong sales in all host cities. Individual game ticket sales will be available beginning today and continuing for the duration of the 100 day countdown while tickets remain available. Sellouts are expected for many games, particularly for team Canada and knockout stage games and in host cities with passionate soccer fan bases and high profile matches.
Winnipeg, culturally diverse and rich with soccer history and passion, is one such city that is expected to see multiple game sellouts. Although unfortunate not receive any knockout stage matches, Winnipeg will host many matches from Group D, dubbed the group of death. There have been four champions in the history of the tournament since its beginning in 1991, Winnipeg will host matches featuring three of those champions and two runner ups. Of the 10 teams that will play in Winnipeg, five are ranked within the top 10 in FIFA’s Women’s World Rankings and all but 3 are within the top 20. With quality like this, there’s no question Winnipeger’s will be treated to some the best moments of the Group Stage competition.
Fortunately I secured my full Stadium Passport to all seven games in Winnipeg within minutes of the initial ticket offering on September 10th, 2014. This early bird got the worm and despite not shelling out for the most expensive tickets available, I was still rewarded with some exceptional seats in the 100 section lower bowl. For anyone who’s ever attended an event at the new Investors Group Field, it truly is a state of the art facility. Pardon the cliche but there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. I will be in attendance soaking up every second of every game and will be sharing my experiences and reporting on the days proceedings right here. In the meantime, enjoy the many festivities planned across Canada during the lead up to this great event. Soccer/football fan or not, this is a once in a lifetime experience that offers as much off the pitch as it does on.
The experience is what you make of it, don’t let it pass you by.
TIME & SPACE 