1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup USA '99
The logo of the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
Tournament logo
Tournament details
Host countryUnited States
DatesJune 19 – July 10
Teams16
Venue(s)8 (in 8 host cities)
Final positions
Champions United States (2nd title)
Runners-up China
Third place Brazil
Fourth place Norway
Tournament statistics
Matches played32
Goals scored123 (3.84 per match)
Attendance1,214,221 (37,944 per match)
Top scorer(s)Brazil Sissi
China Sun Wen
(7 goals each)
Best player(s)China Sun Wen
Fair play award China
1995
2003

The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup was the third edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national soccer teams. It was hosted as well as won by the United States and took place from June 19 to July 10, 1999, at eight venues across the country. The tournament was the most successful FIFA Women's World Cup in terms of attendance, television ratings, and public interest.

The 1999 edition was the first to field sixteen teams, an increase from the twelve in 1995, and featured an all-female roster of referees and match officials. It was played primarily in large American football venues due to expected demand following the successful 1996 Olympics women's tournament. The average attendance was 37,319 spectators per match and the total attendance was 1.194 million, a record that stood until 2015. The tournament earned a profit of $4 million on its $30 million operating budget.

The final, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, was attended by 90,185 people, setting an international record for spectators at a women's sporting event. The United States won the tournament by defeating China in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw. The 5–4 shootout ended with Brandi Chastain scoring the winning penalty with her team's fifth kick, following an earlier miss by China's Liu Ying. Chinese forward Sun Wen and Brazilian midfielder Sissi were the joint top goalscorers of the tournament, with seven goals each.

The tournament was considered a "watershed moment" for women's soccer in the U.S. that increased interest and participation in women's soccer. A new professional league, the Women's United Soccer Association, was established following the tournament, and played three seasons before folding because of financial difficulties. The United States also hosted the next World Cup in 2003, which was played in smaller venues and ended with the host team finishing in third place.


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