FIFA today released the match schedule for the tournament, set down to run in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 6, 2023.

The tournament will feature games held in nine different cities and 10 separate venues across the two host nations.

Perth Rectangular Stadium will hold just five matches, the equal lowest number of any of the host cities across Australia and New Zealand.

All of those will be in the group stage, with Perth the only one of the five Australian host cities not to host a single game from the knockout phase.

Perth has also missed out on hosting any of the tournament’s top seeds, effectively ending the city’s hopes of welcoming women’s soccer’s biggest drawcards like current world champion the United States of America or Olympic champion Canada, significantly reducing the tourism potential of the event for WA.

All four of the other Australian cities including Adelaide will host matches in the knockout round of 16 phase, with Brisbane and Sydney to host quarter-finals.

The semi-finals will take place in Sydney and Auckland, with the third-place game in Brisbane, and the final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia on Sunday August 20.

Out of a total of 64 games, 35 will be held in Australian venues, while 29 will be held in New Zealand.

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