Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne and Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Christian Radnedge/Peter Rutherford. The voter preferences were quickly published by FIFA and split along continental lines. Women's World Cup all about the legacy, says NZF chief, Soccer-Australia, New Zealand bask in glow of Women's World Cup 'treasure'. After a successful World Cup last year won by the defending champion United States, FIFA wants the next women’s tournament to further establish its independence from the men, and show it is commercially attractive. NZF Chief Executive Andrew Pragnell was more focused on how the World Cup could inspire young girls, including his 10-year-old daughter Ari and her 12-year-old sister Zoe. The FIFA Women’s World Cup is officially coming Down Under in 2023 after Australia and New Zealand’s joint bid got the nod over Colombia. Infantino acknowledged that he was “surprised” by the alliance of soccer's traditional continental powers, who have been critical of his plans in the past — including a 24-team Club World Cup in China that is on hold due to the pandemic. The men's host is picked by FIFA's 211 member federations. Watch New Zealand 2019 Women's World Cup videos. One commercial challenge for the 2023 tournament will be the time zones: Auckland in New Zealand, which should host the opening game, is 16 hours ahead of New York. FIFA's decision means South America is still waiting to host its first Women's World Cup, a tournament that was first played in 1991. “For the first time in history, Australians and New Zealanders will be able to experience a tier one football tournament on home soil,” they said in a joint statement. Australia is a member of the Asian soccer confederation, while New Zealand dominates the Pacific region of Oceania. "We've always said with this bid, that it is as one and making history and creating opportunities," she said. After a successful World Cup last year won by the defending champion United States, FIFA wants the next women's tournament to further establish its independence from the men, and show it is commercially attractive. Colombia had all nine delegates from European soccer body UEFA joining four eligible voters from South America's CONMEBOL. The 1982 World Cup was the first edition to have 24 spots available (up from 16) and two spots were allocated to the Asian and Oceanian regions. ", Australian soccer star Tim Cahill tweeted “I’m lost for words and want to say Congratulations to AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND on this amazing achievement.”. “We need to boost women’s football," Infantino told reporters from FIFA's headquarters in Zurich. The 2023 tournament will be the first time a World Cup for men or women will be shared across two countries from different FIFA confederations. For New Zealand, the tournament is being billed as the largest sporting event the country has hosted. "It’s about time there were some really good news. WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The Women’s World Cup is heading to Australia and New Zealand in 2023 after a concentrated effort by the joint bidders to secure the global soccer event in the southern hemisphere for the first time. The third round saw the four remaining teams play each other on a home-and-away basis to decide who would progress to the inter-confederation play-off. As in previous editions, the Oceania region was delegated half a spot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. “I’ve never sweated so much in non-training situations, ever,” Williams said. "As sporting nations we have had a long history of producing some of the best female footballers in the world and this tournament will further inspire our next generation and provide the platform for them to compete on the world stage.". After defeating China PR in the play-off for the second AFC/OFC spot, New Zealand qualified for their first ever FIFA World Cup, losing all three matches to Scotland (5-2), The Soviet Union (3-0) and Brazil (4-0). WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The Women’s World Cup is heading to Australia and New Zealand in 2023 after a concentrated effort by the joint bidders to secure the global soccer event in the southern hemisphere for the first time. The fallout and criminal investigations arising from that bid process removed a swath of soccer officials in Zurich and South America and helped lift former UEFA official Infantino into the presidency. "We know there is a lot of work to be done. Australia is a member of Asia's soccer body and New Zealand is in the Oceania group. After five matches, New Zealand found themselves in third place, three points and five goals behind China PR. The inter-confederation play-off saw New Zealand face Peru, who placed fifth in the CONMEBOL qualification tournament. The island neighbors … Especially in Australia, with football, and everything that’s happening. For New Zealand, the tournament is being billed as the largest sporting event the country has hosted. One commercial challenge for the 2023 tournament will be the time zones: Auckland in New Zealand, which should host the opening game, is 16 hours ahead of New York. “The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand will be ground-breaking in many ways,” said a delighted Chris Nikou, president of Football Federation Australia (FFA).