Vietnam Women's National Team's 12-year Asian record officially broken

The 18,000-attendance record set by the Vietnam Women's National Team at the 2014 Asian Cup was officially surpassed as 44,379 spectators were present at the 2026 edition's opening in Australia.

After standing for 12 years, the Women's Asian Cup attendance record held by the Vietnam Women's National Team has been officially toppled. The figure of 44,379 people present at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup in Australia not only set a new milestone for the tournament but also concluded a special landmark for Vietnamese women's football on the continental map.

On March 1st, the 2026 Women's Asian Cup commenced with a grand opening ceremony ahead of the host Australia's match against the Philippines. The stadium in Perth was packed with spectators, and according to confirmation from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), this match had the highest live attendance in the history of the Women's Asian Cup.

The previous record was set at the 2014 Women's Asian Cup, a tournament hosted in Vietnam. In the playoff match for a spot in the 2015 Women's World Cup between the Vietnam Women's National Team and Thailand at Thong Nhat Stadium, 18,000 spectators were in attendance. At that time, the AFC recognized this as the highest attendance in the tournament's history, even though it was not the final.

The 2014 Women's Asian Cup had only two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals and simultaneously qualifying for the World Cup. The two third-placed teams had to compete in a playoff for the remaining spot. In the fervent atmosphere on home soil, the Vietnamese women's team lost to Thailand 1-2, thereby missing out on the 2015 World Cup, but still managed to leave a mark with an impressive attendance milestone.

It was not until 2026 that this record was broken. The figure of over 44,000 people in Perth reflects the strong growth of women's football in the region, especially in the context of Australia having just successfully hosted the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, creating a widespread ripple effect.

The AFC described the opening ceremony of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup as a world-class spectacle, worthy of the continent's stature. Immediately after the artistic program, host Australia overcame the Philippines 1-0 in a challenging opening match. And from that moment, a new record was established, while Vietnam's 2014 milestone of 18,000 spectators officially receded into the past as a proud part of memory.