'Speechless': Sporting world in awe of record-breaking scenes
The sporting world has marvelled at the scenes at the Camp Nou after Barcelona hosted Real Madrid in the women's Champions League and created history after attracting a world record 91,553 fans.
Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-2 in the Champions League semi-final in front of the biggest women's football crowd of all-time.
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The record surpassed the 1999 World Cup final between the United States and China, when 90,195 people were in attendance at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
It also completely eclipsed the previous club mark of 60,739 fans, set in 2019 when Atletico Madrid beat Barca 2-0 in a league match.
In remarkable circumstances, all 99,354 tickets for Wednesday's match had been sold out since January after a huge engagement campaign by Barcelona.
But, on the eve of the game, officials were worried the record would be in doubt after heavy rain fell all day in Barcelona and the match started with the stadium only half full.
However, fans started to fill the stadium and images from the game show a jaw-dropping atmosphere during the game.
Barcelona 5-2 Real Madrid (8-3), a world record crowd and, as Alexia called it, a before and after moment in football pic.twitter.com/14tJC0wX3y
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) March 30, 2022
What an incredible moment 🤩
Barcelona set an attendance world record for women's football as 91,553 filled the Camp Nou as they beat Real Madrid in the #UWCL 👏
Monumental! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Lz18Utg0fV— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 30, 2022
World record attendance at Camp Nou for a women’s football match as 91,553 watch Barcelona-Real Madrid tonight. Beats the previous record of 90,185 at the 1999 World Cup final.
— Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnuttAFP) March 30, 2022
91000 in Camp Nou to watch Barcelona v Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League. This feels historic.pic.twitter.com/APKriomx2f
— The Tactical Times (@Tactical_Times) March 30, 2022
Full-time: Barcelona 5-2 Real Madrid.
A crazy game, in front of 91,553 fans, a record for a women's football match, as the best team in Europe keeps its hopes of another treble alive with progression to the Champions League semi-finals.
Simply incredible in every respect. #UWCL— Ameé Ruszkai (@ameeruszkai) March 30, 2022
Barcelona 5-2 Real Madrid. History has just been made. Seven goals in 90 mins, but we need to celebrate even bigger numbers on the board. We witnessed the highest ever attendance figure for a FIFA sanctioned match in the women’s game. 91,553 fans and this is just the beginning. pic.twitter.com/tYvomUq1D0
— VERSUS (@vsrsus) March 30, 2022
Barcelona and Real Madrid women create history
There was an enormous mosaic in the stands with the slogan 'More than empowerment', echoing the Barca boast of being 'more than a club'.
Barcelona, who won the quarter-final first leg 3-1 in Madrid, took the lead eight minutes into the first half with a brilliant curling shot from long range by Mapi Leon but Real fought back to lead 2-1 with goals from Olga Carmona and Claudia Zornoza.
Yet Barca recovered early in the second half with Aitana Bonmati, Claudia Pina and world player of the year Alexia Putellas putting the hosts back in front with three goals in 10 minutes.
Caroline Hansen rounded off the scoring in what was an electrifying match.
"I'm speechless. It's a dream come true. I can only answer with more work, getting better and winning games so we can give them a big spectacle," said Putellas afterwards.
"I saw a lot of girls, children with that spark in their eyes. It's amazing to be part of history."
with AAP
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