Copa America Final was plagued with problems from the start
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said ahead of the opener: “We are confident that the Copa America in Ecuador will confirm the growth and expansion that South American women’s football is currently experiencing.” However, the event faced criticism over facilities from the start when Brazil complained after teams were forced to warm up in cramped indoor spaces, while Chile forward Yanara Aedo called the lack of VAR in the early rounds “disrespectful”.
Widely praised as the best final in the tournament’s history, the match drew the highest attendance of the 2025 edition, with the Ecuadorian Football Federation pleased that 23,798 fans turned out at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado. Still, that number fell short of filling the 41,575-seat venue, with ESPN reporting that the tournament’s average attendance stood at 962 per match before the final. Those numbers are simply not acceptable.
The event in Ecuador never got the attention it deserved
Media reports also said locals and international visitors were unaware the Women’s Copa America was even taking place. Following Colombia’s penalty shootout win over Argentina in the semi-final at the same venue, responses gathered by CNN pointed not to a lack of interest or ticket accessibility – with prices starting at $5 – but a broader failure in promotion. A worrying sign for the sport as interest peaks elsewhere in the world.
Tickets only went on sale on July 4, eight days before the opening match, underlining how late planning hurt visibility. Reuters has contacted CONMEBOL for comment. The gap between on-field quality and local engagement was also highlighted by the increase in international viewers. FOX Sports said on Tuesday that 302,000 tuned in to watch the final — up 273% from 2022 — making it their most-watched Women’s Copa America broadcast. Overall viewership averaged 79,000, a 114% jump across the network’s two channels.
“It’s a shame that the tournament has been played here in Ecuador, and we don’t know about it, and the stadiums are empty,” a local mother who attended the match with her son told CNN.
The first CONMEBOL Women’s Nations League kicks off in October, serving as South America’s path to the 2027 World Cup, but beyond qualification, the tournament offers a fresh chance to address the off-field issues at the Women’s Copa America. With players already performing at a world-class level, CONMEBOL has the audience and the talent to showcase. So what seems to be the problem? Solutions need to come from inside the organization.
Who is to blame for the poor broadcasting and attendance numbers
The question is, will South America’s governing body invest in promotion, infrastructure, and planning to match Europe’s record-breaking Women’s Euros, which had their highest-ever attendances this year, while its own stadiums were half empty? FIFA could do without the negative press, as the organization has been under heavy scrutiny in recent years. England’s Lionesses had a very different experience at the UEFA Euro 2025 competition. They beat Spain in a close match that highlighted how far European soccer has come. Can FIFA turn around the fortunes of women’s soccer in South America?
Coaches Database/Reuters
