FIFA’s handling of the fan experience for the 2023 World Cup came under fire this week, as fans struggled with a complicated ticketing rollout following the final draw on Oct. 22. In a statement to Australian news outlet ABC on Tuesday, FIFA said there has been an “unprecedented” demand for tickets.

As the tournament expands in size and scope, there is warranted concern that world football’s governing body isn’t taking the task at hand seriously enough.

“I would say that the ticketing — absolutely something that we’re looking into. There’s been a huge amount of requests, specifically after the draw,” Arijana Demirovic, FIFA Director of Women’s Football Development, told Just Women’s Sports in a small media roundtable on Friday.

A FIFA media officer also said that the organization is optimistic about the targeted sale of 1.5 million tickets for the tournament. The 2019 World Cup surpassed one million tickets sold four days in, selling out 14 of 52 matches. With an expanded field of 32 teams playing 62 matches in 2023, a projection of 1.5 million tickets sold sounds almost conservative despite whatever challenges a tournament in the expansive region of Australia and New Zealand might present for traveling fans.

With demand, however, comes complications. Tickets for a number of the Matildas’ high-profile group-stage games disappeared before fans could even sign up for a presale. A FIFA spokesperson stands by the work the organization has done behind the scenes to be ready for ticketing demand.

The general sales stage began on Nov. 1 and will run all the way to March 2023, but tiered ticketing is complicated, especially when sponsors are involved. Visa has been a FIFA partner since 2007, and their cardholders received access to pre-draw tickets as early as Oct 6. The rest of the population followed on Oct. 12.

After the Oct. 22 draw, which showed fans the participating nations’ paths through the tournament, Visa users again got early access. From Oct. 25-31, Visa cardholders could buy tickets before general sales began in November. Both the Visa pre-sale and the general sale ticket releases were done by time zone, meaning the middle of the night for some fans.

“Some of the communications that have been going in certain time zones were maybe not correct for some of the fans, or some of the fans felt that they missed out because maybe it was in the middle of the night for specific matches that they were targeting,” Demirovic said. “There are still tickets available, and there will be different sales stages for the tickets. And I’m hopeful that many more fans will be able to get those tickets.”

Those fans will now have to wait until the “final sales phase,” which begins in April 2023.

“It is my understanding that there will be other opportunities to purchase tickets specifically for those matches that have been extremely popular among the domestic fans in Australia,” Demirovic said. “Because they’re having some big matches in their group stage, and there’s quite a hype around those matches.”

While the international demand for World Cup tickets grows with every iteration of the event, failure in domestic ticketing opportunities undermines FIFA’s stated desire to grow the game in Australia and New Zealand.

“One of the appealing reasons why Australia and New Zealand was selected was obviously because of that development based around [Oceania Football Confederation] and in Asia generally,“ a FIFA spokesperson said.

Demirovic specifically noted the fan interest for tournament debutantes like Morocco and Zambia, as well as promotional events like a trophy tour to drum up excitement for the event.

“I have to say that we will be able to see more and more information in the coming weeks, but already from the initial ticket sales, we’re seeing quite a lot of nationalities registering for tickets as well,” she said. “A big Australian and Kiwi contingent, so to say, but quite a lot of different nationalities.”

Ultimately, Demirovic sees the overwhelming demand as a positive: If some fans miss out, then the Women’s World Cup has cultivated a valuable ticket.

“The reality is there is a capacity at the stadium that we will reach at one point,” she said, “and hopefully those fans are then just glued on their screens and are finding different opportunities to also follow the game rather than to get discouraged, in case they cannot join some of the matches.”

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Amid her historic summer on the links, English amateur and rising Florida State senior Charlotte "Lottie" Woad is officially turning pro, accepting LPGA membership two days after nearly topping the 2025 Evian Championship leaderboard.

One week after becoming the first amateur to win a European Tour tournament since 2022 — with the 21-year-old taking the 2025 Irish Open title by a massive six-stroke margin — Woad came within one stroke of becoming the first amateur to win an LPGA major in 58 years.

Sunday's finale saw world No. 25 Grace Kim emerge as the 2025 Evian Champion, with the Australian taking the title following a playoff with Thailand's No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul.

Both Kim and Thitikul finished the tournament at 14-under-par, while Woad trailed a single stroke behind to tie 2021 Evian winner and Australia's No. 5 Minjee Lee for third-place in the LPGA Grand Slam.

Unlike Lee, who banked $547,200 for her efforts, Woad's amateur status means she had to forgo what would have been her share of the $8 million purse.

"I did have a look after and was like, 'oh no,'" joked Woad about Lee's check.

Woad to make pro debut next week

That all changes now, though, as Woad's finish made her the first player eligible to join the LPGA through the governing body's new lite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, in which top young golfers amass points to earn pro membership.

While the world's highest-ranking amateur initially said she would take the week to weigh turning pro with returning to Florida State for her final NCAA year, Woad made her decision to turn pro Tuesday morning.

In addition to accepting the LPGA membership, she will also join the European Tour in 2026 — an invite Woad earned with her Irish Open win.

"I have only reached this point in my career through the help and support that I've received from so many people and organisations over many years," Woad wrote in an Instagram post thanking her family and coaches. "I am very excited about this next chapter."

Woad's next chapter is imminent, as the world No. 64 announced her professional debut at the 2025 Scottish Open next week.

The field of established golf pros are already on notice, with Sweden's No. 30 Madelene Sagström warning that "[Woad is] going to take European and American golf by storm very soon."

Tuesday's WNBA tilts feature a season-first clash between two young pro cores, as the No. 11 LA Sparks host the No. 7 Washington Mystics in the teams' last tilt before the 2025 All-Star break.

While Washington is a consistent presence above the playoff line in this season's standings — thanks in large part to the Mystics' two All-Star rookies, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — LA is still finding their way.

Led by champion veterans Kelsey Plum and Azurá Stevens, the Sparks' roster includes youthful talent like forward Rickea Jackson and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, with this month's return of guard Rae Burrell from injury also boosting the young LA lineup.

"She's just the energizer bunny," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said of Burrell. "She puts pressure on the defense. I feel like she's getting in a groove."

Even more, the Sparks are eyeing the return of their 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink, with the forward inching close to competitive play just over a year after an ACL tear ended her rookie campaign.

Currently sitting in a lottery position, LA will aim to dig out a win — and some much-needed midseason momentum — in their last game before the All-Star break:

• No. 7 Washington Mystics vs. No. 11 Los Angeles Sparks, Tuesday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Fresh off a Sunday victory over the No. 13 Connecticut Sun, the Sparks will look to claim their first back-to-back home wins this season when they try to upend a Mystics side that's comfortable playing in the clutch.

• No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, Tuesday at 8 PM ET (ESPN): The Fever are on a roll, hoping to tack on a third-straight win as they eye a deep post-All-Star run.

The 2025 NWSL season is on summer international break, but many clubs aren't stopping play, with teams competing in strategic friendlies to test their depth and prowess during the long July window.

Last Tuesday, the Houston Dash hosted Liga MX side CF Monterrey, storming past Las Rayadas 4-0 behind goals from defender Avery Patterson and midfielders Delanie Sheehan, Maggie Graham, and Kiki Van Zanten.

The North Carolina Courage then played Liga MX titans Tigres UANL to a scoreless draw in a weather-shortened match on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Racing Louisville tested new and returning players — including star Bethany Balcer — in a domestic clash with regional USL Super League rivals Lexington SC, with the 1-1 draw serving as the NWSL side's tune-up to The Women's Cup, which kicks off this weekend in Brazil.

Meanwhile in Kansas City, the Current kicked off its inaugural four-team Teal Rising Cup tournament on Saturday, securing a 3-0 win over Brazil Série A1 club Palmeiras thanks in large part to forward Haley Hopkins's first-half brace.

The Current will next play in Tuesday's tournament final against Série A1's Corinthians, a team that defeated the Chicago Stars 1-0 in their Saturday semifinal with a last-gasp stoppage-time goal.

How to watch the Teal Rising Cup finale

The first-ever Teal Rising Cup will conclude on Tuesday, with the Chicago Stars and Palmeiras facing off in the mini-tournament's third-place match at 6 PM ET before the KC Current battles the Corinthians for the trophy at 9 PM ET.

Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.

Incoming 2026 NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy FC is making big moves, with two key Monday announcements shoring up the club's place in the larger New England sports ecosystem.

Buying into the Legacy on Monday was Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston, with the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year investing in the club after playing high school ball at Massachusetts's Worcester Academy.

"I'm proud to join the ownership group of the Boston Legacy. This city helped raise me, and the support I felt here shaped so much of who I am," the three-time WNBA All-Star said in a club statement. "And yes... Boston repping Boston just felt right!"

With her investment, Boston joins a growing roster of current and former WNBA stars buying into the NWSL, including Angel City investor Candace Parker, Bay FC advisor Sabrina Ionescu, and Gotham FC minority owner Sue Bird.

Along with their famous new investor, the Legacy also revealed plans on Monday to construct a privately funded, $27 million purpose-built team performance center in nearby Brockton, Massachusetts.

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Slated to open prior to the 2026 preseason, the center boasts a fully outfitted 30,000 square-foot training building, a bubble dome for year-round practice, and six fields of various surfaces — some of which will be available to youth teams in the community.

"Competing at the highest level demands an environment that elevates every aspect of performance — and this new facility is a major step forward in how we support our players every single day," said Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein.

A couple of those incoming players were announced earlier this month, as the Legacy welcomed Bundesliga free agent and midfielder Annie Karich as the team's first signee before inking French Première Ligue forward Aïssata Traoré — the first-ever NWSL player from Mali — late last week.