Aspirational Australia Seeks to Elevate Women’s Asian Cup onto the Global Stage

Australia is set to host the pinnacle of women’s football in Asia just three years after making its debut as a FIFA Women’s World Cup host nation.

Former Australia forward Sarah Walsh vividly recalls the 2006 Women’s Asian Cup final, where a sea of red-clad Chinese fans dominated the stands at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium, outnumbering local supporters in a crowd of roughly 5,000.

Now serving as the chief operating officer for the 2026 event, Walsh is envisioning a sold-out crowd of 80,000 for the final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia in just over a year.

“Historically, the Women’s Asian Cup hasn’t been a major event on the international football stage, but we believe it should be soon,” Walsh told Reuters.

“We aim for it to have the same appeal as the women’s Euros in Europe. This tournament and our efforts to set a standard for it here in Australia are incredibly important to us.“

The 12-team continental tournament will commence around two and a half years following Australia’s co-hosting of the World Cup, a competition that witnessed unprecedented crowds and viewership, with the Matildas reaching the semi-finals.

Although the Asian Cup holds less prestige and profile compared to the World Cup, Football Australia eagerly accepted the opportunity to host it, largely due to the immense popularity of the women’s national team.

The Matildas, once largely overlooked, have now become “Australia’s favourite team” and recorded an outstanding run of 16 sell-out home matches leading up to December.

While Football Australia can rely on large crowds for the Matildas’ matches and has planned their tournament opener at the 60,000-seat Perth Stadium, attracting spectators for games without the Matildas could prove challenging.

Walsh and her team will focus on engaging Australia’s Asian communities in the host cities of Sydney, Perth, and Gold Coast.

However, they face a tight timeline to generate enthusiasm.

Aside from Australia, only defending champions China, Japan, and South Korea have confirmed their participation for 2026, with the tournament draw set to take place after mid-year qualifiers determine the remaining eight nations.

“We’re racing towards the Women’s Asian Cup now, but we’re already initiating engagement efforts,” Walsh said.

“We know that the football community and die-hard Matildas supporters will buy tickets, but we want to ensure we balance interest across all 27 matches.“

With the Australian government providing a AU$15 million grant, Walsh’s objective is to host a tournament that breaks even or ideally generates profit.

On the pitch, the Matildas’ recent form has caused concern among fans, having suffered three consecutive defeats at the SheBelieves Cup in the United States, including a hefty 4-0 loss to Japan.

Local organisers are hopeful that the Matildas can turn their fortunes around and secure their second Asian championship, 16 years after clinching their first title in China in 2010.

However, Walsh believes that the tournament can withstand a potential early exit from the Matildas.

“Football is the world’s game,” she remarked. “There is no denying the diversity of participation and fandom we have here.“

Like the World Cup, the Asian Cup may bring attention to the disparities in women’s soccer.

In 2023, the semi-finals were largely dominated by well-funded teams, while those from emerging nations faced early exits amid grievances over funding shortages and unpaid wages.

Afghanistan does not even have a team competing in the qualifiers, as women’s sports have been severely restricted under the Taliban government.

A group of Afghan women players residing in Australia have urged FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to recognise these exiled players as a national team and allow them to compete.

“This is a matter for the AFC,” Walsh stated. “I truly sympathise with them, particularly the team currently based in Australia… There are also (Afghan) players in Europe, and I hope they find a favourable resolution.“