The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia

Attending a large sporting event can be extremely stressful for some people. The noise, the crowds, the logistics, the cost, and the game itself can overwhelm even the most seasoned sports fan. 

For me, attending the game of a team that I like is one of the rare exceptions where I’m *generally* not bothered by the noise and commotion that comes with it. I enjoy verbally cheering for a team and feeling a sense of camaraderie with the other fans in the stadium. However, this experience was completely different - I was solo, on a budget, in a foreign country, flying to multiple cities for games, and attending the tournament for almost 4 weeks. 

Overall, I had an amazing time at the World Cup and traveling throughout Australia. In this article, I share the exact cost of my trip, some logistical details, and other tidbits that stood out to me. 

The “solo” part

source: Giphy

This was my first experience going to any sort of big sporting event alone. In all honesty, I felt really awkward during the first game. I was surrounded by families and a few large groups of friends who seemed to be partying together before the game. I didn’t know what to expect so I got there an hour early to find my seat, walk around the stadium, and see what food options were available. Getting there early definitely helped me feel more comfortable for the next game and allowed me to stress less overall. 

I also made an effort to go to the fan zones to watch other games as well as hang out in my free time. It was easier to connect with people in those areas and I made a few friends that I later met up with during the tournament. The fan zones in Australia also catered to a calmer, family-friendly environment with picnic benches and comfy chairs. I was still able to feel the communal atmosphere without the overwhelming intensity that is normally found in a stadium.

The Tillies and women in soccer

It didn’t take long for the Australian women’s team, affectionately known as the “Matildas” or the “Tillies”, to take over a special place in my heart. I had often cheered for them in previous World Cups, but something about being in Australia and watching an entire country embrace them as their national team made this experience extra special. I was fortunate enough to attend their final three games, dance to music from Down Under (by Men at Work) after two wins, as well as lament with the country after their semi-final loss. Kudos to these amazing women who brought an entire country to its feet and I can’t wait to cheer them on in the next World Cup.

 In addition to the Tillies, I could not help but be amazed by the talent and true grit displayed by the women on other teams. A total of 32 teams competed this year from 6 different continents. Despite the fact that one in three Women's World Cup players earn less than $30,000 per year from their national and club teams combined (source), they all played with the skill and professionalism worthy of multi-million dollar contracts. It’s hard to imagine being an athlete playing on such a grand stage and still having to worry about making ends meet. Hopefully, the coming years will bring more equality to the sporting world and we can all bear witness.

Accommodations, flights, and staying for free

When I made the decision to attend the World Cup, I immediately knew that I would only go to games in Australia. I had been traveling so much that the thought of going to New Zealand as well was too much at the time. Still, Australia is typically expensive and could easily devour my budget if allowed. I carefully banked my American Express and Chase points throughout the year so I could use them for this trip and treat myself to nicer accommodations. Here is a breakdown of my accommodations:

• 7 nights at an Airbnb in Brisbane for $307.53 USD

• 17 nights at hotels throughout Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane for a total of only $177.11 USD. That included multi-night stays at 5-star hotels like the Shangri-La Sydney.

Overall, I only spent $484.64 USD on accommodation for 24 nights in Australia. I would not have been able to do this without carefully saving my points in advance. I used my American Express points for the nicer hotels and some of my Chase points for another hotel. Staying at nicer accommodations allowed me to wind down from all of the energy and noise surrounding the games.

When it came to flights, I used some of my Chase points to fly round-trip from Southeast Asia to Australia completely for free. I also took 4 domestic flights on Jetstar to get between cities for a total of $402.56 USD.

 If you are considering getting a travel credit card, my overall pick is the American Express Platinum for its customer service, top-tier selection, and the general peace of mind the card gives me. My second choice is the Chase Sapphire Preferred due to its lower annual fee and general acceptance globally. I will write a comprehensive review of these (and other travel credit cards) shortly – stay tuned.

Disclosure: this content is not sponsored or endorsed by any of the card brands described here. I only recommend cards that I have personally vetted.

How to buy World Cup tickets + how much they cost

This was my first time buying multiple tickets for any sort of large-scale sporting event. I ultimately decided to buy tickets off of the official FIFA website as I wanted to be sure they were all legitimate. Overall, the process was relatively straightforward and did not cause any issues for me. Here are the steps I took to buy my tickets:

• I created an account on the FIFA website a few months in advance

• I noted the date when international customers would first be allowed to buy tickets (host country customers and other select customers had first access)

• I studied the bracket in advance to plan which games I wanted to go to so I didn’t waste any time once the tickets went on sale. I also researched flight prices between cities to make sure I could afford to go to each location.

• Unfortunately, I ended up being on a long overnight flight the day the tickets went on sale so I bought them around 1 day later. There were still lots of options left for the games that I wanted to go to and I immediately purchased them through the website.

• For the games where I wasn’t able to purchase a ticket immediately, I checked the website every couple of days afterwards and eventually purchased available tickets.

• Side note, FIFA did allow customers to resell tickets on the FIFA platform (I later did this for one of the games that I decided to skip). They had specific rules about the price that you were allowed to sell the ticket for and there was also a transaction fee. Overall, it was seamless for me to resell the ticket but I didn’t receive the money back in my account until a few months later.

Now, for the real shocker, the total price for tickets to all 9 games that I attended was only $355.42 USD. This included:

• 3 group stage games

• 3 round of 16 games

• 1 quarterfinal game

• 1 semifinal game

• 1 FINAL GAME!!!

I even had a decent seat for the majority of the  games. From one standpoint, it was great to know that people with limited budgets could attend the games and I saw tons of families with kids there. However, given the typical salaries noted for these players listed in the The Tillies and women in soccer section above, it seems like the tickets were so inexpensive because women’s sports are still not valued as much as men’s sports. We can compare more specifically once the men’s World Cup 2026 tickets go on sale (exact date still TBD).

Total cost

I’ve already covered some of the costs in detail above, but I will list out every item below for full visibility:

• $484.64 USD for accommodations (most of my accommodations were free as I used points)

• $355.42 USD for a total of 9 World Cup tickets

• $762.02 USD for transportation (my roundtrip flight from Southeast Asia>Australia was free as I used points, the other costs were domestic flights and ground transportation)

• $979.17 USD for food, sightseeing, and miscellaneous items

That’s a grand total of $2581.25 USD for 24 nights! Broken down, that is roughly $108 USD/day and I stayed in some 5-star accommodations (and zero hostels).

Would I do anything differently for the next World Cup?

First of all, I’m still pinching myself and grateful that I was able to attend a World Cup for almost 4 weeks. The FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 will be a bit more complicated as it will be held in multiple cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Here’s my advice to get ahead:

• Start consciously accumulating and saving credit card points to later redeem them for flights and hotels (ideally, some nicer-end hotels so you can relax comfortably during your off time). However, only do this if you are in a financial position to do so and be sure to do your own due diligence/consult a financial professional.

• If you are travelling solo and want to make friends there, try to get to each city a few days in advance and check out the fan zones and local bars. They are great places to meet new people and easier than trying to meet people when you are seated alone in a stadium.

• Consider the amount of walking and travel that you want to do. It can be very exhausting going from city to city every couple of days. Also, walking around the stadium grounds alone while navigating local transit systems to get there can drain your physical and mental energy.

• Prepare yourself for how to enjoy the rest of the tournament if your favorite team is knocked out. I was originally disappointed that I didn’t get to see the US team play at all, but quickly got over it by following the Tillies and other teams the rest of the tournament.

• Plan a few activities not related to the World Cup. For example, I went to the Australia Zoo north of Brisbane for a day trip. Crikey, it was a good time!