New Zealand will host 24 national teams, with the tournament including 52 matches, and will run from Saturday 30 May until Saturday 20 June 2015. Christchurch will host nine matches including a round of 16 clash, a quarter-final, and one of the two semi-finals. All of the Christchurch matches will be played at AMI Stadium in Addington.
Mayor Bob Parker says "Coupled with the recent allocation of the ICC Cricket World Cup matches to Christchurch, this announcement ensures that 2015 will be a banner year for Canterbury sports fans. We're honoured to have this chance to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and to show the world that Christchurch has the capacity to host a global event of this scale.
"The Christchurch City Council has had a lot of help to bring this world-class event to the city - we extend our thanks to the Christchurch Stadium Trust, Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism, Mainland Football, The Canterbury Community Trust and Christchurch Airport for their tremendous support."
The tournament will be broadcast to over 100 countries and a global television audience of more than 170 million people, providing exposure for the tournament, the host cities, and New Zealand on a massive scale. It is estimated more than 7000 overseas fans will pour into New Zealand for the tournament and to support their teams.
Christchurch Airport CEO Jim Boult says the airport company is proud to support the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Christchurch. "We are the gateway to the South Island and to the scenery overseas visitors want to see. We sponsor initiatives and events like this one which bring visitors to the city - ideally, through the airport."
