An impressive view from inside a sold-out BC Place (pictured) prior to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final between the USA and Japan in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo: FIFA via Getty Images)

OTTAWA, Canada -- Canada Soccer revealed Thursday that the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™ and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2014 generated an impressive $493.6 million in economic activity for Canada – exceeding by 46% the preliminary projections of $337 million made in February 2014.

The total initial expenditure for both competitions was $216 million, which yielded $249 million in net economic activity (GDP) with $97.6 million in tax revenues supported across the country.

The figures released by Canada Soccer follow a study conducted using the Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model Professional version (STEAM PRO) – an assessment tool provided by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA). 

“On behalf of Canada Soccer, we would like to thank all of our funding partners for their support to successfully stage the largest single sporting event ever hosted in Canada,” said Victor Montagliani, President of Canada Soccer. “Without their early commitment to the hosting of these competitions and their outstanding support throughout, along with that of the Canadian soccer community, we could not have had such a profound impact on not only our economy, but also on our country and women’s sport in Canada and around the world.”

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ set a total attendance record (1,353,506) for a FIFA competition other than the FIFA World Cup™ and the study showed that it attracted thousands of out-of-town spectators. More than 84,000 visitors made one or more day trips while 174,000 visitors made an overnight visit to one of the official host cities. The study also showed that a total of 96,600 fans from the United States crossed the border. Spending by all of these visitors, combined with that of the 36,600 out of town visitors who were among the nearly 300,000 spectators at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2014, were reflected in the positive results of the economic impact assessment.

The two competitions were supported by more than 2,500 volunteers, representing over 100 nationalities, who collectively contributed in excess of 153,000 hours of their time to ensure the success of the events. Additionally, more than 1,000 girls aged eight to 12 attended the seven FIFA Live Your Goals festivals.

The following cities hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup and/or the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Vancouver, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; Toronto, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Ottawa, Ontario; Montréal, Québec; and Moncton, New Brunswick.

With the support of FIFA and Canada Soccer, the country now boasts 18 FIFA 2-Star RECOMMENDED training fields. The women’s game continues to advance thanks in large part to the highly competitive North American National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in addition to the domestic Regional Excel Centres (REX) that have been established.