Top 5 most attended matches in Women’s football history

Women’s football continues to grow in popularity, breaking barriers and shattering attendance records worldwide. Let’s take a look at some of the most iconic attended matches in the history of the sport.

5. 2022 Euro Final – England vs Germany: 87,192

Date: July 31, 2022

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, England

Host nation England faced Germany in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 final at London’s Wembley Stadium. The crowd of 87,192 was the largest ever for a women’s football match in England​ – in fact, a higher attendance than any previous Euro (men’s or women’s) final.

The fans were treated to high drama as England’s Ella Toone scored with a sublime chip, Germany equalised late, and Chloe Kelly poked in an extra-time winner for a 2–1 English victory​. Kelly’s celebratory shirt-whirling moment sent Wembley into a frenzy, echoing Brandi Chastain’s famous 1999 celebration and underlining the emotion of the moment. This win delivered England’s first major soccer trophy since 1966, a poignant fact given that women’s football was banned in England back then​.

The cultural reverberations were massive – a victory lap in front of tens of thousands at Trafalgar Square, wall-to-wall media coverage, and a sense that football had finally “come home” on the women’s side.

“I think England have hosted an incredible tournament and we’ve changed the game in this country – and hopefully across Europe and across the world,” Williamson said the next day​, reflecting how this record crowd and triumph were game-changers for women’s football.

4. 1999 World Cup Final – United States vs China: 90,185

Date: July 10, 1999

Venue: The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, USA

The 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final previously held the official attendance record for a women’s match. A packed house watched the United States and China battle to a 0–0 draw through 120 minutes.​

Though goals didn’t come during regular play, the tension was palpable. In the penalty shootout, Briana Scurry’s save and Brandi Chastain’s left-footed spot-kick clinched the 5–4 shootout win for the USA, triggering a deafening eruption of joy.

This final wasn’t just a soccer match; it was a cultural watershed in the U.S. “The victory changed the social fabric for women athletes in (the) USA,” Chastain reflected years later​.

The tournament’s success fuelled the launch of a women’s pro league and a surge of girls taking up football. The massive attendance and TV viewership for that 1999 final announced that women’s football had arrived on the world stage, planting seeds for the sport’s growth globally.

3. 2022 Champions League Quarter Final – Barcelona vs Real Madrid: 91,555

Date: March 30, 2022

Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

El Clásico fever hit the women’s game: Barcelona hosted Real Madrid in a UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final second leg. The club’s call for supporters to fill the legendary Camp Nou clearly worked – 91,553 fans showed up, smashing the world attendance record for a women’s football match​ (eclipsing the 90,185 from 1999).

Initially a rainy evening left the stadium half-full at kickoff, but fans kept streaming in and soon nearly every seat was occupied​. They were rewarded with a spectacle: Barcelona, already up 3-1 from the first leg, fell behind 1-2 during this match before rallying. Aitana Bonmatí and Clàudia Pina scored early in the second half, swinging momentum back to Barça, who went on to win 5–2 and 8–3 on aggregate​.

The night produced a carnival-like atmosphere – a giant Camp Nou mosaic reading “More Than Empowerment,” chants echoing into the night – signaling a new era for women’s club football. The moment wasn’t lost on the club or its fans. “Culers, the world record for attendance at a women’s football match is ours!” FC Barcelona tweeted in celebration​.

Beyond the scoreline, this game showed that a women’s match could capture the same passion as a men’s – a genuine turning point in perception. It set the stage for even bigger crowds just weeks later, underscoring the remarkable momentum in women’s football attendance.

2. 2022 Champions League Semi-Final – Barcelona vs Wolfsburg: 91,648

Date: April 22, 2022

Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

Just three weeks after the record-setting Clásico, Barcelona broke their own attendance record when an astonishing 91,648 supporters packed Camp Nou for Barça’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Germany’s VfL Wolfsburg​.

Once again, the home fans created a vibrant sea of Blaugrana colors and noise. And once again, Barcelona’s women rose to the occasion – delivering a 5–1 thrashing of Wolfsburg​.

Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas led the charge with two goals, as Barça put on a show of skill and dominance. But it was the crowd that made headlines worldwide, setting a new world record attendance recognised by FIFA.

“It is something spectacular what happened today – and almost a month ago – it leaves us speechless,” Barcelona midfielder Patri Guijarro marveled, trying to fathom the moment​. She added, “we’ll be a little more aware of the magnitude in days or even years… how special it is to experience a day like this”​.

Indeed, the magnitude went beyond a single club or city: this was a statement to the world about the explosive growth of women’s football. A Champions League semi-final drawing nearly 92,000 fans would have been unthinkable a few years prior. Now it was reality, signalling that the investment in and enthusiasm for the women’s game had reached new heights. Barcelona’s back-to-back record crowds in 2022 emphatically showed that the appetite for top-level women’s football can fill the grandest stadiums – and isn’t slowing down.

1. 1971 World Cup Final (Copa 71) – Mexico vs Denmark: 110,000

Date: September 5, 1971

Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

The largest crowd in women’s football history came over half a century ago, in a landmark event many people have never heard of.

An estimated 110,000 spectators packed Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on September 5, 1971 to witness the final of the 1971 Women’s World Cup (an unofficial tournament) between host nation Mexico and Denmark​.

This colossal attendance – a world record for any women’s sporting event at the time – was achieved 20 years before FIFA would organise a women’s World Cup.

The atmosphere in Azteca was electric: fans with air horns and Mexican flags, the stadium roaring as Mexico’s Las TICAS (as the team was nicknamed) took the field. The dream of a title on home soil, however, was dashed by a Danish teen phenom. Fifteen-year-old Susanne Augustesen scored a hat-trick for Denmark, defeating Mexico 3–0.

Despite the home team’s loss, the Mexican crowd’s support never wavered – a testament to the passion for fútbol femenil. Contemporary reports called it a “stunning” turnout, and to this day 110,000 remains the largest-ever attendance for a women’s match.

English coach Harry Batt, whose team participated, proclaimed, “I am certain that in the future, there will be full-time professional ladies’ teams in this country.”​

Batt’s optimism at Azteca hinted at the potential that such a crowd implied – that a corner had been turned for the women’s game. However, the momentum of Copa ’71 (as it was known) wouldn’t immediately translate into lasting infrastructure or support; women’s football largely remained in the shadows for years after, especially as it lacked official sanction. Yet, the fact that 110,000 people showed up in 1971, despite the sport’s suppressed status, stands as an incredible early emblem of women’s football’s appeal. It took decades for the rest of the world to catch up to that vision. Now, with modern record crowds finally approaching that number, the 1971 Mexico City final is being re-discovered as a monument to both the past enthusiasm and the unrealized possibilities of women’s football.

The Big Picture

Each of these record-setting matches – from a forgotten 1971 showdown to Camp Nou classics in 2022 – illustrates the remarkable ascent of women’s football. What was once sidelined and underestimated is now drawing capacity crowds in some of the world’s most iconic venues. The fact that three of the top five attendances in history occurred in the last few years speaks volumes about the sport’s trajectory.

These aren’t just numbers; they represent cultural earthquakes – moments when the collective roar of tens of thousands signalled a shift in how women’s sports are perceived. The surge in record crowds is both a result of and a catalyst for continued women’s football growth, creating a virtuous cycle: big crowds beget bigger stages, which inspire new generations of players and fans. As we celebrate these historic crowds, one thing is clear: women’s football isn’t a niche – it’s a movement that’s here to stay, with the world watching (and filling stadiums).

You can watch the documentary Copa 71, released in 2023, on all major streaming services