State shut out of Matildas’ Asian Cup push
Five venues across just three states will shoulder the load of Matildas and other matches for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, with Victoria and South Australia left out of planning for the tournament.
On the back of the success of the 2023 FIFA World Cup, Football Australia confirmed venues in Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast would host matches for the 12-nation tournament, which will run from March 1-21 in 2026.
Games will be played at Stadium Australia and CommBank Stadium in Sydney, Optus Stadium and HBF Park in Perth and Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, with major cities Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide unable, or unwilling, to get involved.
Rather than bemoan the lack of access to games in Melbourne especially, which would have required blacking out AAMI Park and limiting access for the Melbourne Storm and A-League games in March, FA boss James Johnson said the “best bids” came from elsewhere.
“We had three outstanding bids in Queensland, Western Australia and NSW and we’re very happy with all three states and the stadiums that are involved,” Johnson said on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
Mark your calendar - it’s official! These are the host cities for the #WAC2026 taking place 1 – 21 March 2026!
🏟️ Sydney - Stadium Australia & Western Sydney Stadium
🏟️ Gold Coast – Gold Coast Stadium
🏟️ Perth – Perth Stadium & Perth Rectangle Stadium#Matildas@afcasiancup— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) November 13, 2024
“Melbourne is obviously an important city in terms of our agenda, we’re going to be there tomorrow for the Socceroos vs Saudi Arabia, but for this tournament we felt the three best bids were Queensland, NSW and also Western Australia.”
Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane would have required a similar blackout so officials opted for the smaller stadium on the Gold Coast, which holds 28,000 people compared to 52,500 in Brisbane.
Cbus Stadium had never hosted international football until the Socceroos played a World Cup qualifier against Bahrain in September.
The Gold Coast venue will also host the Matildas for the first time for a December friendly against Brazil and Johnson said he was happy to play there now and during the major tournament in 2026.
“We see a big opportunity to continue to grow the participation of players in Queensland and certainly on the Gold Coast, we’re very happy we’ve landed on this decision to be on the Gold Coast.
“These venues not only showcase Australia’s elite sporting infrastructure but also hold a rich legacy in our sport, with some great moments being played at these stadiums.”
The full schedule of matches, including for the Matildas who are seeking to bounce back from their poor showing at the Paris Olympics, are expected to be confirmed in early 2025, along with locking in a venue for the final.
Australia last hosted the Women’s Asian Cup in 2006, while it also hosted the men’s instalment in 2015. The tournament is part of FA’s strategy to hold more big events, including the men’s FIFA World Cup, in the future.
“We of course hosted a great Women’s World Cup in Australia only recently and we’ve seen the power and the impact of women’s international football on our communities and on our sport,” Johnson said.
“We’re keen to keep this momentum going throughout this competition in 2026.”
The news came after Matildas star Caitlin Foord scored her sixth goal of Arsenal’s Champions League campaign in a 4-0 win over Italian side Juventus.
