Matildas likely to return to Perth as state prepares to host biggest women’s football tournament in the region

Both Optus Stadium and HBF Park will host AFC Women’s Asian Cup games, as Football Australia unveiled the recommended dates for the 2026 tournament.

Perth will be one of three host cities for the event, alongside Sydney and the Gold Coast, which could see them host a Matildas game after missing out during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Subject to ratification from the AFC Executive Committee, the Women’s Asian Cup will take place from March 1-21 and Perth’s two stadiums will get a significant slice of the action.

The city’s two biggest venues will be known as Perth Stadium (Optus) and Perth Rectangular Stadium (HBF Park) for the duration of the tournament.

Perth Stadium is the second-biggest venue in the 12-team tournament, behind Stadium Australia in Sydney, putting Perth in line to potentially host several major games including the knockout stages.

The 2022 iteration of the Women’s Asian Cup featured three groups of four, meaning each team played three games in the opening phase.

The Matildas won the Asian Cup in 2010 and were runners-up in 2014 and 2018 but exited at the quarter-final stage at the most recent edition in India in 2022.

CEO of Football Australia James Johnson hopes the tournament will continue the surge in the growth of women’s football in Australia and represents their commitment to the region as a whole.

“We are immensely proud to bring the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ to Australia in 2026. Hosting this premier event reinforces Australia’s commitment to growing women’s football and celebrating the incredible talent within the Asian football community,” he said.

“With world-class stadiums in iconic cities and the unwavering support of our state governments, we are set to deliver a tournament that will inspire players and fans alike.

“We extend our gratitude to the governments of New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, for their commitment to bringing this event to life, and we look forward to welcoming Asia’s top teams for a truly memorable experience on and off the field.”

A combined 97,037 fans attended the Matildas’ trio of Olympic qualifiers held in Perth last year while the World Cup games provided a $25.2m windfall for the state.

While fixtures will not be confirmed for some time Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, Rita Saffioti MLA said the tournament will continue to grow WA’s profile as a major destination in the region.

“The AFC Women’s Asian Cup will showcase Western Australia to a global audience of over 100 million people, further elevating our reputation as a destination of choice for major sporting events,” she said.

“We’ve got a proven track record in hosting these blockbuster international women’s football matches, off the back of the huge success of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ and exclusive Matildas’ Olympic Qualifier Series.

“We continue building on our vision to become the fastest-growing major events destination in the South East Asia region, and we can’t wait to welcome many thousands of out-of-state and local fans to this massive event.”

All decisions will require formal ratification by the AFC Executive Committee to take effect – with that meeting due to take place on 3 December 2024.