Matildas fans left fuming over detail in Mackenzie Arnold goalkeeper jersey sales

Aussie football fans have once again been left fuming after missing out on purchasing the iconic purple Matildas jersey worn by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold. The Aussie shot-stopper became a fan favourite during the World Cup but was at the centre of a massive controversy over Nike's decision not to make goalkeeping kits available to purchase for fans.

Nike faced a wave of public backlash when fans realised they couldn't buy any of the female goalkeeper jerseys during the tournament. Nike originally bowed to public demand by announcing that goalkeeper jerseys would be made available to purchase for England, USA, France and the Netherlands but the retail giant was also forced to include Australia after copping widespread backlash from Matildas fans.

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On Tuesday, the jerseys finally went on sale at midday AEDT around Australia, but had apparently sold out within minutes. Football Australia reportedly confirmed to NCA NewsWire that the initial online store allocation sold out within 15 minutes of going on sale to the public, with many fans claiming they were gone within five minutes.

The official social media page for the Matildas also posted a message on X but assured fans going to Wednesday night's Olympic Games qualifying second leg against Uzbekistan at Marvel Stadium, that jerseys would also be available to purchase at the ground. They also revealed a "limited re-stock" would be available online this Friday at 12pm AEDT.

Fans disappointed after missing out on Matildas jerseys

The situation left many fans who'd missed out on purchasing them online bitterly disappointed. Many supporters questioned how the high demand for the jerseys wasn't preempted, considering the clamour for them during the World Cup. "You knew there would be crazy demand - why didn’t you at least take pre-orders so you’d have an idea?" One user said on X.

Another said: “All sold out in under 5 minutes is there any indication on how much stock there will be at the game tomorrow?” Another fan said he was "so keen" to but one of the Matildas goalkeeping jerseys but “they were going in less than 5min!”.

Fans will also be able to purchase the purple Matildas goalkeeper jerseys in store from Wednesday, with roll-outs happening at Rebel Sport and Ultra Football. The Nike jerseys feature the Australian badge and are priced at $125 for women and men and $100 for youth sizes. Aussie supporters can customise the jerseys with Arnold's surname, or those of fellow Aussie goalkeepers Jada Whyman, Lydia Williams and Teagan Micah.

Arnold said in December the demand from fans to wear her national team jersey was a "really special" feeling. "I think, for such a long time, goalkeepers have sort of taken the backseat," Arnold said. "Now that everyone wants a goalkeeper jersey, I think not even just in Australia... I think a lot of women goalkeepers around the world are sort of facing that kind of story now. It's really cool to see and hopefully they'll be available heading into the Olympics. So I'm excited for that."

Matildas on the cusp of qualifying for Olympics

The Matildas are just 90 minutes away from qualifying for the Olympics in Paris later this year and will back themselves to get the job against Uzbekistan in Melbourne on Wednesday night, holding a 3-0 advantage from the first leg in Tashkent. There have been concerns around the Marvel Stadium surface, following a P!nk concert held there last weekend but stand-in captain Steph Catley says it looks OK upon inspection. "To be fair, I think it looks good," Catley said after checking out the pitch with Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson on Tuesday. "If you hadn't have told me there was a concert on it, Tony told me as well, I might not have known.

"I'm used to it being that hard, I think that's initially the first thing I think about is what footwear and it's pretty obvious because it is so hard. But yeah, it looks like it's in good nick - it'll probably be the opposite of what we've just played on (in Tashkent). Catley was referring to the soft, snow-sodden pitch they played the first leg on in Uzbekistan.

"So that might be a little bit of adjusting but I think in terms of playing good football, it's perfect and we've played on it before and it's something that we're absolutely used to. In terms of everything that we're overcoming for this trip that's probably quite low on the list. But yeah, I think everyone's just excited for a big crowd and it's a flat surface, it's a good surface, so we're ready to go."

with agencies

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