We are delighted that the Sunflower is being used as part of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ commitment to delivering a safe, inclusive, and barrier-free tournament for everyone.
Taking place quadrennially, the FIFA Women's World Cup™ sees 32 nations compete on the international stage. With continental qualification pathways leading to an exciting finals event, the competition has seen four past champions; the USA, Germany, Japan and Norway.
The opening night of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ takes place on 20 July in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau and is set to break attendance records in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand for women’s football. The opening match between the Football Ferns and Norway is likely to surpass the host nation’s previous biggest crowd for an international football match (37,000), set when the All Whites played Peru in 2017.
At each stadium across Australia and New Zealand, FIFA will have a dedicated and trained Sunflower Friendly volunteer team available to assist! For all attendees across the tournament FIFA are committed to ensuring that everyone is welcome, stadiums are accessible, and events are inclusive.
“Accessibility in our communities isn’t limited to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™. We can all play our part in making our communities more accessible and inclusive. This includes kicking off conversations with our friends, families and colleagues about our accessibility and inclusion” Source FIFA.com
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is the globally-recognised symbol for all non-visible disabilities. It gives the wearer the opportunity to clearly signal that they have a hidden disability and may need additional assistance, as well as time or just a little patience during their time at the matches.
If you or your friends are going to support any of the extraordinary women of football and would like support to do so, please wear a Sunflower lanyard. The bright and positive sunflower icon will help FIFA staff and volunteers to ensure you have your best experience at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.
Earlier this year, the Sunflower was used for the first time at the largest inclusive sporting event in the world, the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023.
The Sunflower is a simple way of making the invisible visible and encouraging participation and positive change in society.
Click here to find out more about FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™