photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDREA CARDIN
Ceske Budejovice has a world record. The 5,369 fans who attended Sunday’s gold medal game took the total attendance for the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship to 122,331. That’s more than the previous highest of 119,231 set in Winnipeg, Canada, in 2007.
The record attendance was driven by a string of sell-out games featuring the Czech team, with players from many nations commenting on the electric game-day atmosphere at Arena Ceske Budejovice. But there were also impressive turn-outs for many other games, particularly heavyweight clashes involving Canada and the USA.
IIHF Director General Matti Nurminen was delighted with the enthusiasm among fans from Czechia – and beyond.
“I would like to thank the Czech fans,” he said. “We know that you are a true hockey country, but you proved it again.
“To my understanding all the Czech games were sold out. But there were other games with more than 5,000 spectators. We are breaking the world record in the Women’s World Championship one year after we set a world record for the men’s worlds in Czechia, so this is truly a hockey country.”
The record attendance was driven by a string of sell-out games featuring the Czech team, with players from many nations commenting on the electric game-day atmosphere at Arena Ceske Budejovice. But there were also impressive turn-outs for many other games, particularly heavyweight clashes involving Canada and the USA.
IIHF Director General Matti Nurminen was delighted with the enthusiasm among fans from Czechia – and beyond.
“I would like to thank the Czech fans,” he said. “We know that you are a true hockey country, but you proved it again.
“To my understanding all the Czech games were sold out. But there were other games with more than 5,000 spectators. We are breaking the world record in the Women’s World Championship one year after we set a world record for the men’s worlds in Czechia, so this is truly a hockey country.”