Total attendance at the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup has surpassed 200,000 spectators, marking a significant milestone for the continental competition as it entered the knockout stage. Quarter-final clash between Japan and Philippines pushes tournament crowd past major milestone.
Sayer Zaland | ASJF News
The landmark was reached during the quarter-final match between Japan women’s national football team and the Philippines women’s national football team at Stadium Australia, bringing the overall attendance to 223,112 fans.
The milestone followed another historic moment for the tournament, which celebrated its 400th match in competition history a day earlier when the South Korea women’s national football team defeated the Uzbekistan women’s national football team 6–0 in the third quarter-final.
The Japan–Philippines encounter also attracted 13,321 spectators, the highest attendance recorded for a match between two non-host nations in the history of the tournament.
Windsor John, General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation, praised the achievement, describing it as evidence of the rapid growth of women’s football across Asia.
He noted that the tournament has become a “world-class spectacle,” crediting the participating teams, organisers and supporters for contributing to a historic edition of the competition.
World Cup Qualification
Following the completion of the quarter-finals, Australia, China, South Korea and Japan secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Two additional teams will earn qualification through the play-offs scheduled later this week.
The 21st edition of the tournament is being staged across the Australian host cities of Sydney, Perth and Gold Coast, with the final set to take place on March 21 at Stadium Australia.