Wave FC breaks NWSL single-game ticket sales record

San Diego Wave FC announced it has broken the NWSL single-game attendance record in tickets sold for its inaugural game at Snapdragon Stadium. The club has sold more than 27,000 tickets for its September 17 game against its Southern California rivals, Angel City FC. 

“This is a testament to two things: women’s soccer in the U.S. and the San Diego Wave and what we’re building here,” Wave FC Forward Alex Morgan said. “This game is so significant for us being in our first season, knowing that the NWSL has gotten more and more fans each year, that there has been more and more traction, that there is more and more value in women’s sports and women’s soccer specifically." 

The Portland Thorns hold the current NWSL attendance record, with 25,218 fans attending a game at Providence Park in 2019. While currently around 27,000 in ticket sales, Snapdragon Stadium seats 32,000 — a goal the club feels is more than attainable.

“This is a remarkable moment for our club, San Diego, and women’s professional sports in our country,” Wave FC President Jill Ellis said. “We are so proud to be a part of such a supportive community and we cannot wait to sell the whole place out.”

Tickets can be purchased through Wave FC’s website, where there are currently less than 1,000 tickets left for the debut game. The club sold out a majority of its home games at Torero Stadium, the University of San Diego’s football and soccer stadium, which seats 6,000. 

Beyond the enticement of seeing Wave FC play its first game at Snapdragon, Jill Ellis offered another way to gather more fans — specifically kids —  into the stadium. In July, Jill Ellis announced the Battle of the Clubs, a competition between clubs in which the winner (the club that sells the most tickets for the game) will receive a trophy from Ellis as well as a private training session with the Wave FC coaching staff.

Currently competing for first place in the NWSL, Wave FC can have over five times the amount of fans in its home stadium than it could while playing at Torero. This could be a massive advantage for a club who is already dominant at home, as it pushes into the postseason. 

“To see this number today, right now, and just know that we are on the road to a sell out is just an incredible feeling because this club set its mind on breaking the single-game attendance in league history,” Morgan said. “We’ve done that now, but now the goals don’t stop for this club and I’m just really proud to be a part of that.”