A record-breaking 750 million television viewers watched this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada – signalling a watershed moment for women’s football.

Figures from broadcast research company KantarSport show that 764 million in-home TV viewers watched at least one minute of match action from the tournament, with overall viewing figures three times larger than those at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 in Germany.

In a statement, football’s world governing body FIFA said the viewing numbers underlined the global success of the event and hailed 2015 as a "breakthrough year" for women’s football.

The women’s tournament is now the second most-watched FIFA competition after the men’s FIFA World Cup.

The 2015 edition also broke all viewing records for football in the key market of United States, where the final between USA and Japan became the most watched football match – for both men’s and women’s football – in US history.