Barcelona-Real Madrid Women’s Champions League clash breaks attendance world record

Barcelona set a world record for attendance for a women’s match with 91,553 supporters attending Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid at Camp Nou.

The previous record crowd for a women’s game has stood since 1999, when 90,185 fans watched the World Cup final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

However, some estimates suggest 110,000 people attended Denmark’s win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in the 1971 World Cup final, a tournament that was not officially sanctioned.

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In club football, the existing high prior to Wednesday’s Clasico was 60,739, set when Atletico Madrid hosted Barca in a league game at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2019.

Barca usually play their home games at the 6,000-seater Estadi Johan Cruyff at the club’s training ground, but this match was moved to Camp Nou to accommodate the bigger demand for tickets.

It is just the second time the European champions have played a competitive game at the 99,354-capacity stadium, and the first time with fans. Last season’s 5-0 win over Espanyol was also played at Camp Nou, but it was played behind closed doors due to coronavirus restrictions. Barcelona won Wednesday’s game 5-2 to go through to the semifinals 8-3 on aggregate.

“At the end of the match I had to hold my tears back because this is just too crazy,” Barcelona winger Caroline Graham Hansen told reporters afterward. “It’s one thing is to play at Camp Nou, but when it’s full, winning 5-2 in the Champions League and the fans aren’t leaving, they’re staying to celebrate with us!

“I did…