The popularity of Women's football continues to grow, and on Wednesday, Chelsea announced that 32,500 UWCL semi-final tickets had already been sold.
Saturday's game will see the Blues face Barcelona at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 aggregate lead thanks to an Erin Cuthbert goal at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in the first leg.
To put that away victory into context, Barcelona Femení had not lost at home in a competitive game since 2019, and had not been held scoreless in a home Champions League match for eight years.
You Blues are unbelievable! 👏
32,500 tickets sold and counting for Barcelona this Saturday! 👊
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) April 24, 2024
Of course, this has added to the excitement around the game in London on April 27th, and ticket sales have reflected the magnitude of the game.
Emma Hayes eyeing the UWCL trophy
Boss Emma Hayes has already announced that she will leave the club at the end of the season to take up a role as the Head Coach of the US Women's National Team, and Chelsea fans would understandably love to see her lift the Champions League trophy before she leaves.
A European accolade is the only thing that evades Hayes during her tenure with the Blues, having won every domestic honour there is to win including six WSL titles.
87:05 on the clock. 1-0 up. Barca through on goal…
Up steps @_JessCarter. 🛑 https://t.co/qHASVukmuB pic.twitter.com/d6HohBuezP
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) April 24, 2024
“It’s essential [the game is sold out],” Hayes told the London Evening Standard on Monday.
“Our girls deserve to play in front of a full house to give ourselves the best possible chance. We will need the crowd. Barcelona will throw absolutely everything at us. For us to progress, we need absolutely everything.”
How to buy UWCL semi-final tickets
Chelsea just need one last push to fill Stamford Bridge to its capacity of around 40,000, with tickets still available to purchase here. Prices range from £20 to £23 for Saturday's match, which kicks off at 17:30.
Should Emma Hayes and her side reach the final, they will play at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao on Saturday May 25th.