Football fans will get the chance to see one of the world’s biggest women’s football clubs in action when Chelsea F.C. Women travels to New Zealand for the International Football Festival in Auckland.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced Chelsea Women will face an Auckland FC Women’s Invitational XI at Eden Park on Saturday, August 8.
The match will coincide with a visit by Tottenham Hotspur F.C., with both teams forming part of the Government-backed football festival funded through the Government’s $70 million Major Events and Tourism Package.
Upston said the event would give New Zealand football fans a rare opportunity to see a top-level English Women’s Super League club play on local soil.
“This will be the first time a Women’s Super League club has played in New Zealand,” she said.
“It is fantastic to welcome another world-class team to New Zealand, giving football fans the chance to see Chelsea in action thanks to the Government’s investment into attracting events of this calibre.”
The Government says the festival is expected to provide an economic boost for Auckland during the quieter winter tourism period by driving visitors into hospitality, accommodation and entertainment businesses.
“The festival will provide a winter economic boost to Auckland by bringing buzz to hospitality and tourism businesses, creating more jobs and strengthening our economy,” Upston said.
She said the event would also help showcase New Zealand internationally, with matches expected to be broadcast globally.
“The matches will be broadcast globally showcasing New Zealand as a world-class destination for culture, sport and entertainment.”
The announcement comes as women’s football continues to grow in popularity across New Zealand following the success of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which saw Auckland host matches and fan events during the tournament.
“It’s exciting to welcome Chelsea F.C. Women to Eden Park as women’s football in New Zealand continues to grow, building on the legacy of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023,” Upston said.
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