The official record for highest attendance at a professional women’s soccer game is held by the 1999 World Cup Final at the Rose Bowl between the USWNT and China with 90,185. Unofficially the 1971 World Cup Final between Denmark and Mexico had 110,000 in attendance.
A new candidate for the record is lurking in the shadows to take down the USWNT’s record. On March 30, Barcelona’s women’s team will host Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinals at Camp Nou.
On Jan. 13, the club announced more than 50,000 tickets had already been sold for the game.
5⃣0⃣.0⃣0⃣0⃣ ENTRADES VENUDES!
Aconsegueix la teva entrada aquí https://t.co/9gXGmj6hSiUS HI ESPEREM, OMPLIM EL CAMP NOU! pic.twitter.com/KgrqnzCr0S
— FC Barcelona Femení (@FCBfemeni) January 13, 2022
Barcelona‘s have only surpassed the 50k barrier for three men‘s games this season (Real Madrid, Espanyol and Real Betis). They only had 39k vs Bayern in the UCL.
After a day, 50k tickets have already been sold for the women‘s game against Real in the UWCL.— Adam Millington (@AdamGMillington) January 13, 2022
The current record attendance for a women’s soccer game featuring clubs is 60,739, set by Atlético Madrid and Barcelona at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2019.
Atletico vs. Barcelona set a new world record attendance for a women's club match pic.twitter.com/XQH6RFxT4w
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 17, 2019
Barcelona’s El Clásico Champions League quarterfinal in March looks poised to top that mark and could even go the distance to break the USWNT’s record. Here’s several reasons this incredible achievement can be accomplished.
Capacity
Camp Nou has an official capacity of 99,354. Therefore, it’s physically possible for Barcelona’s women’s team to surpass the USWNT's 90,185 mark. The team typically plays its games in the Estadi Johan Cruyff (6,000 capacity), but the big quarterfinal occasion means Camp Nou will be the venue on March 30.
Champions League Game
Barcelona fans have gotten used to seeing Champions League knockout games in the spring. They’ve been watching the men do so every year for the past two decades. Despite the men’s failures this season, fans are still in luck as they get to watch the defending champions go for a second straight Women’s Champions League title.
The men’s team being a steamy pile of manure (for Barcelona standards) could be the catalyst that drives fans to watch the most dominant team on the planet and get their Champions League fix.
Covid Restrictions
Spain’s government enacted a law on Jan. 1 that all sporting events will have reduced capacity of 75 percent. This would be a major hammer blow to Barcelona’s women’s team attempting to get the attendance record.
The good news is that the game against Real Madrid isn’t for nearly three months. The Omicron variant is spreading like wildfire and could die out before the game on March 30. There’s still enough time for Covid to calm down and lift the attendance restrictions.
El Clásico
At the end of the day the game is still El Clásico, and this rivalry draws a crowd. If Real Madrid manages to keep the score close in the first leg then that will only add to the excitement ahead of the second leg at Camp Nou.
If the perfect storm happens of the aggregate remaining close, Covid restrictions lifting and the fans turning out in droves, then a record could be set on March 30.
The game will be played at 12:45 p.m. ET and can be watched for free on YouTube via DAZN.
