Euro 2022 set new records for women's football
The Women's EURO 2022 group stage has concluded with records tumbling on and off the pitch: new high attendance figures, goals scored totals, numbers of web searches and more.
On the pitch, England's 14 goals in three group stage matches is an all-time competition record, while the hosts' Beth Mead has become the first player to score five goals in a group stage, and together with Germany's Alexandra Popp, is the first woman to score in all three group matches. Northern Ireland's Julie Nelson, meanwhile, became the oldest player to score at a Women's EURO, registering against Norway aged 37 years and 33 days.
However, if figures on the pitch have been impressive, the numbers the other side of the touchline have been even more outstanding. Even before the tournament kicked off, a record 500,000 tickets had been sold (over double the previous best of 240,055 set at Women's EURO 2017 in the Netherlands) and a colossal 68,871 turned out to watch England beat Austria 1-0 in the opening game, beating the previous best of 41,301 set in the 2013 final in Solna. That record is likely to be broken again in the Wembley final.
Social media channels are also picking up the passion for Women's EURO: over four times as many followers have been gained on the official Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat channels since the tournament began compared to during the equivalent phase of the 2017 event. Video views and engagements are up ten times on previous finals, with TikTok, the Official Entertainment Platform of the competition, driving the biggest growth and engagement by offering fans unseen angles, behind-the-scenes content and an immersive live schedule that lifts the lid on the biggest Women's EURO.
"This Women's EURO is what we were all aiming and hoping for," says UEFA chief of women's football, Nadine Kessler. "It is record-breaking from start to finish and raises the bar to a new level never seen before in every aspect, whether it's on a sporting or organisational level.
"A lot of work and dedication has gone into preparations for this tournament and to see it all come to fruition is fantastic. We have invested more than ever, and the players, teams, fans in the stadiums and at home as well as our partners can see and feel this. We are coming to the business end of things; we will see even more records broken. I am very excited about the knockout rounds, with some fantastic matches coming up, and we are all set to leave an amazing legacy behind when the trophy is handed over to winners at Wembley on 31 July."
