"Record-Breaking Showdown: England vs. Spain in Historic Women's World Cup Final!"

On Sunday, the Women's World Cup final commenced as England and Spain took the field, marking the culmination of a tournament that shattered attendance and TV viewership records, fostering a surge of interest in women's soccer.

Hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand, this ninth edition of the global showcase event achieved a milestone by being the inaugural Women's World Cup held in the southern hemisphere. This edition has already set new benchmarks for attendance figures.

While local enthusiasm waned following Australia's exit during the semi-finals, the collective attendance across the nine host cities is projected to exceed 2 million spectators after the final's kick-off at 8 p.m. (1000 GMT) on Sunday.

Hours before the commencement of the final at Sydney's Stadium Australia, throngs of fans had already converged, with groups of drummers and stilt walkers crafting a festive ambiance.

Both England and Spain reached their inaugural Women's World Cup final, a historic moment for both teams. Notably, England's men's team hasn't clinched a tournament victory since 1966, adding an extra layer of significance to the occasion.

"I'm feeling a mix of happiness, excitement, and intense nervousness due to the many disappointments we've faced over the past five decades," remarked Michael Khoodriuth, a devoted England supporter.

The semi-final match between Australia and England drew a staggering average viewership of 7.13 million on the Seven Network, setting a new record for OzTAM, a research firm established in 2001.

The Matildas' matches were sold out months ahead, and organizers anticipate that the average attendance will exceed 30,000 once all 64 matches conclude. In contrast, the previous Women's World Cup in France, held four years prior, amassed over 1.1 million attendees across 52 matches, with an average crowd of 21,756.

Although demand in New Zealand was somewhat subdued due to the early exit of their team in the group stages, FIFA distributed thousands of tickets, and certain matches drew as few as 7,000 attendees. Nonetheless, White Ferns matches set new records for soccer attendance in the country.

At the elite level, Australian players, despite losing 2-0 in the third-place playoff match against Sweden, are set to earn $165,000 each in prize money, a significant boost compared to the A$750 ($480) received for reaching the quarter-finals in 2015. Yet, at the grassroots level, players like Matildas striker Sam Kerr emphasized the necessity for increased funding and resources, underscoring the need for support in development and grassroots programs.

The remarkable performance of the Matildas in the World Cup has spurred calls for greater investment in women's soccer in Australia, where more established sports codes such as rugby league and Australian rules football have historically overshadowed the sport. In response, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged A$200 million for women's sports, focusing on enhancing facilities for women and girls and earmarking significant resources for soccer.

Moreover, the government aims to ensure that women's sporting events are accessible on free-to-air television, addressing concerns that many World Cup matches not involving Australia were confined to pay-per-view platforms.

Both England and Spain, the finalists, have navigated challenges unique to their soccer trajectories. England, as the birthplace of the sport, only permitted women access to official facilities in 1970, lagging behind the men's team in terms of funding and interest. Nevertheless, momentum has been building since the Lionesses secured the European championship last year.

Meanwhile, the Spanish team encountered internal turmoil, with a dispute involving coach Jorge Vilda and the Spanish football federation resulting in the absence of some key players from the tournament.

(Note: The currency conversion of $1 = 1.5618 Australian dollars remains unchanged.)