Coopers Stadium in Adelaide's Hindmarsh wins top reviews from elite soccer players and big exposure to world
The upgraded Coopers Stadium at Hindmarsh in Adelaide inner west. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup game at the stadium between China and England attracted a television viewing audience of 53.9 million.
Image fcourtesy Coopers Stadium
South Australia’s upgraded boutique Coopers Stadium at the inner western suburb of Hindmarsh enjoyed top reviews from elite soccer players and big exposure to the world in 2023-24.
Coopers Stadium claim to have been seen by the biggest television audience of 53.9 million viewers in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 for the China versus England match. The China v England game’s 53.9 million viewers almost quadrupled the next most watched match – China’s opening match with 14.58 million viewers. Coopers Stadium also hosted Brazil v Panama, China v Haiti, Korea Republic v Morocco and France v Morocco in Round 16.
At the end of the Australian 2023-24 soccer season, the Professional Footballers Association announced that Coopers Stadium was voted as having the best atmosphere in the ISUZU-UTE A-League men’s competition by the players for the second consecutive year. Coopers Stadium also was voted the premier venue for football in the NINJA A-League Women’s competition by its players.
The South Australian state government funded a $52 million upgrade of the stadium as part of the commitment to Adelaide being one of five Australian cities to host women’s world cup games. Upgrades to the stadium included refurbishing the changerooms, replacing the pitch, new lighting and media/corporate areas, upgrades sound and LED systems and new video replay screens. As a final part of the women's world cup upgrade, Coopers Stadium had a new pitch and upgraded active supporter areas along with 15 new screens added throughout the grounds to build vibrancy and fan engagement, in readiness for the 2024 A-League Australian soccer season
With an official capacity of more than 13,000, Hindmarsh Stadium, opened in 1960, had a record attendance of 18,430 in 2000 when it hosted the Olympic Games men's match between Italy and Nigeria. Seven Olympic Games matches – six at group stage and one quarter final – were played at Hindmarsh that year. A pair of World Cup-winning duos – Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta for Italy and Xavi and Joan Capdevila for Spain were among stars featured, along with Yakubu, Hidetoshi Nakata and Landon Donovan.
The atadium also was the venue for matches involving the All Blacks rugby union team and the Australia national soccer team. From 2003, It was home for Adelaide United in Australia's A-League. Since the Australia Cup's inception in 2014 (the country's new domestic trophy, formerly the FFA Cup), the final was at Hindmarsh three times, with Adelaide United winning each on home soil to become the competition's most successful team. Adelaide United also scored two premiership titles and one championship since the A-League's inception in 2005.