The crowd also make history at Camp Nou sees a world record attendance of 91,553
The response from the Barça fans means that the figure surpasses the 90,185 fans who attended the 1999 World Cup final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena between the USA and China
fcbarcelona.com 07:27PM WEDNESDAY 30 MAR WOMEN
The first game with fans for Barça Women at Camp Nou is in line with the history that the team is making on the field and everyone who attended the quarter final second leg of the Women's Champions League can say they were there at the game that set a new world record for attendance at a women's football game. The 91,553 fans who behind Jonatan Giráldez's team as they made it to the last four of the competition have also helped to write another page in the history books not just at Barça but in women's football.
Camp Nou's capacity, the biggest in Europe, allowed hopes of a record attendance for a women's game to be raised. The bar was high with the previous best set at 90,185 for the 1999 World Cup final between the USA and China in the Pasadena Rose Bowl stadium in California.
The great response to the game at Camp Nou from the fans sees a whole host of further records set - beating the previous record for a club game of 60,739, set at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2019 in a game between Barça Women and Atlético Madrid in the league. Furthermore, the crowd sets a new record in the Women's Champions League previously set at 50,212 in a game between Lyon and FFC Frankfurt in Munich in 2012.
The challenge to break the record needed the help of the members and fans who responded excellently to the Club's call for people to come to he game. Free tickets for members were snapped up two months in advance as were the tickets priced between 9 euros and 15 euros for non-members. Despite a rainy day in Barcelona, the fans did not disappoint and turned up in great numbers to get behind a team that has made them proud and that this season could even improve on last season's treble winning campaign.
An unforgettable experience
The fans enjoyed a festival atmosphere inside and outside the ground. The stands at Camp Nou were not only notable due to the size of the crowd but also for the varied nature of those attending with members and fans of all ages and all corners of the world mingling in the Barça stadium to be part of the record breaking evening. In the hours before kick off fans were able to take part in various activities (skate park, basketball tournaments, 3 a side futsal, photos...) Many youngsters were attending their first game at Camp Nou and will remember their part in making history for the rest of their lives.
Once inside the stadium before the game there was a giant mosaic on show from the more than 90,000 fans inside the ground. The message was one that the Club wished to send around the world - More than Empowerment - supporting women in their battle for a more equal society.
Institutions present in the VIP Box
For the historic occasion present in the President Suñol box were representatives from Catalan institutions, from the president of the Catalan Regional Government, Pere Aragonès, the president of the Catalan Parliament, Laura Borràs, as well as the Barcelona Government Delegates, Maria Eugènia Gay, the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, and the Secretary of State for Sport and president of the CSD, José Manuel Franco.
Other guests included Barça figures such as Xavi Hernández, Carles Puyol, Àlex Abrines, Audie Norris and the president of the Cruyff Foundation, Susila Cruyff. Form the world of culture present were the winner of the Berlinale Os d'Or, the cinema director Carla Simon and the actor Silvia Abril.
Barça Women 5-2 Real Madrid Femenino: Semi-final bound on a historic night!
Barça Women seal their passage to the Champions League semi-finals in front of 91,553 spectators, a world record for a competitive match in women's football
DAMIAN HOSFORD 08:13PM WEDNESDAY 30 MAR
A landmark game witnessed by a world record crowd for women’s football. The 91,553 spectators that watched this entertaining match in Camp Nou were treated to some finishes of the highest quality in a Clásico that ended 5-2 (aggregate score 8-3), guaranteeing Barça’s place in the Champions League semi-finals.
Coach Jonathon Giráldez selected an attacking line-up, with Pina coming in for Leila, meaning Rolfö started at left back. Let’s not forget that the side was still without key players like Asisat Oshoala, Lieke Martens, and Mariona Caldentey, among others.
Contrasting styles, even first half After the wonderful mosaic in Camp Nou featuring the “More than Empowerment” slogan setting the scene, the first half began with Barça immediately taking control and dominating possession.
Real Madrid were pushing up to try to win the ball high up the pitch as in the first leg, but Barça appeared to have done their homework. There was always the out ball over the top, mainly to Graham Hansen on the right, with Pina tucking in to allow Rolfö to raid down the left.
It wasn’t long before the breakthrough came, María “Mapi” Leon swinging in a cross from the right on the 8th minute, the ball floating straight in over Misa who had come out to try to intercept. Real Madrid were handed a way back into the game soon after, Paredes giving away a penalty after a shot from Carmona, who scored the subsequent spot kick after 16 minutes.
A first half dominated by the home side, with 12 shots to 2, but the score remained even at the break.
Barça go through the gears Real Madrid came out fighting in the second half, crowned by a superb strike from Zornoza, who lobbed Paños from just inside the Barça half on the 48th minute. This just seemed to spur Barça on - Graham Hansen with a good penalty shout soon after.
The equaliser came on the 52nd minute, Aitana receiving the ball from Jennifer Hermoso just outside the area on the right, touching it inside before hitting a left foot shot past Misa.
The floodgates were open; Rolfö attempted a cross from the left, which cannoned off a Real Madrid defender and fell nicely for Pina, who still had a lot of work to do. Her sumptuous left foot shot, lifted into the far right corner of the goal, made it 3-2 after 55 minutes.
Alèxia then scored on the 62nd minute after losing her marker and firing a cross shot that squirmed under Misa, just crossing the line despite a Real Madrid defender’s desperate attempt to keep it out. Alèxia’s 26th goal of the season and 8th in the Champions League, incredible!
Pina then fired just wide before Graham Hansen got the goal she deserved for her performance, Rolfö again driving down the left before her cross looped up off a Real Madrid defender, Graham Hansen finishing at the far post after 70 minutes for the 5th goal.
Both coaches then rang the changes to give their squads a taste of the electric atmosphere on such a momentous day for women’s football, and despite further attempts from both sides, the game ended 5-2. Barça scored 5 of their 6 shots on target, ruthless and effective!
A truly entertaining game for this world record crowd for an official women’s football match. ¡Visca Barça!
Match stats: Barça Women: 5
Real Madrid Femenino: 2
Barça Women: Sandra Paños, Irene Paredes (Andrea Pereira, min. 81), María León, Claudia Pina (Melanie, min. 81), Graham (Patri Guijarro, min. 72), Marta Torrejón (Crnogorcevic, min. 72), J.Hermoso (Leila, min. 72), Alèxia Putellas, Patri, Aitana, Rolfö.
Real Madrid: Misa, Teresa (Claudia, min. 85), Peter (Rocío Gálvez, min. 74), Ivana, Olga (Caroline Moller, min. 66.), Oroz, Esther (Nahikari García, min. 66), Lucía, Zornoza, Athenea, Svava (Robles, min. 74).
The previous attendance record for European club football matches was set at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2019 when Atletico Madrid Femenino played Barcelona Femeni.
naptu2: Asisat Oshoala scored the first goal for Barcelona in a record breaking game against Atletico Madrid this afternoon at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The match set a new attendance record for women's football in Europe with over 60,739 spectators in the stadium.
The game is also significant because Barcelona were 6 points behind Atletico at the top of the table and Atletico would have virtually won the league if they had won this game.
They didn't because Oshoala scored from a stunning header in the 65th minute (she went off a few minutes later with a muscle problem after leading another attack) and Toni Duggan came off the bench (replacing Oshoala) to score the second and winning goal in the 80th minute.
; 1-1, Olga Carmona (min. 16); 1-2, Zornoza (min. 48); 2-2, Aitana Bonmatí (min. 52); 3-2, Claudia Pina (min. 55); 4-2, Alèxia Putellas (min. 62); 5-2, Graham Hansen (min. 70).