Australia women's national soccer team

"Matildas" redirects here. For other uses, see Matilda (disambiguation).

This article is about the women's team. For the men's team, see Australia men's national soccer team.

The Australia women's national soccer team is overseen by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia, which is currently a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) since leaving the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in 2006. The team's official nickname is "the Matildas" (from the Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda; officially known as the CommBank Matildas for sponsorship reasons);^[2] they were known as the "Female Socceroos" before 1995.^[3]

Australia

Nickname(s)	Matildas, Tillies
Association	Football Australia
Confederation	OFC (Oceania): 1966–2006 AFC (Asia): 2006–present
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Tom Sermanni (interim)
Captain	Sam Kerr Steph Catley
Most caps	Clare Polkinghorne (167)
Top scorer	Sam Kerr (69)
FIFA code	AUS
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	15 3 (16 August 2024)[1]
Highest	4 (December 2017)
Lowest	16 (October 2003 – June 2004; September 2005)
First international
Thailand 3–2 Australia  (Hong Kong; 25 August 1975)
Biggest win
Australia 21–0 American Samoa  (Auckland, New Zealand; 9 October 1998)
Biggest defeat
United States 9–1 Australia  (Ambler, United States; 5 June 1997)
World Cup
Appearances	8 (first in 1995)
Best result	Fourth place (2023)
Olympic Games
Appearances	5 (first in 2000)
Best result	Fourth place (2020)
Asian Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1975)
Best result	Champions (2010)
Oceanian Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1983)
Best result	Champions (1994, 1998, 2003)
Southeast Asian Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2008)
Best result	Champions (2008)
Website	Official website

Australia is a three-time OFC champion, one-time AFC champion and one-time AFF champion. The team has represented Australia at the FIFA Women's World Cup on eight occasions (once as co-host in 2023) and at the Olympic Games on five, although it has won neither tournament. Their performance in the 2023 World Cup attracted significant nationwide attention and has had an impact on the perception of women's sport in Australia.

History

Foundation

The Australian Women's Soccer Association (AWSA) was founded in 1974^[4] and a representative Australian team competed at the 1975 AFC Women's Championship. This team was officially recognised in May 2023, with all 16 members of the squad officially awarded caps.^[5] Pat O’Connor captained this team, and her husband Joe was head coach. After finishing runner-up in their group which featured Thailand and Singapore, the Australians would lose 3–2 in the semi-final against New Zealand. A 5–0 win against Malaysia in the third-place playoff meant that the national team came third in the first Asian Cup.^[6]

A national team made up primarily of players from New South Wales and Western Australia was sent to the 1978 inaugural Women's World Invitational Tournament, in Taipei, Taiwan.^[7] Australia, coached by Jim Selby,^[8] played against club teams at the tournament and none of the players' appearances counted as official caps.^[9] Prior to May 2023, Australia's first official international match was considered to be against New Zealand at Seymour Shaw Park in Miranda, New South Wales, Australia on 6 October 1979, as it was billed as the "1st Australian Women's International Soccer Test". Jim Selby remained as coach. A lack of resources meant Australia's subsequent seven official matches were all against New Zealand.^[10]

The 1980s: Development in Oceania

Australia played in the first Oceania Cup in 1983 in New Caledonia, losing the final to New Zealand in extra time. It was the first time the Australians faced a team other than the "Football Ferns" of New Zealand.^[11] A team would not be assembled again until the next edition of the tournament in 1986 tournament in New Zealand, which featured Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, as well as New Zealand's B team. Australia lost in the final again, beaten 4–1 by Taiwan.^[12][13]

Throughout the 1980s, the team did not have an official playing kit of its own. The only playing kits available were hand-me-downs that had been donated or discarded by men's teams. Although the players were proud to be wearing an Australian strip, they were never supplied with a kit that fitted them properly. Moreover, on the eve of one international tour, several players famously had to sew the team crest onto their tracksuit jackets with a needle and thread.^[14]

The late 80s had Australia encountering the American and European teams for the first time in the 1987 Women's World Invitational Tournament in Taiwan, and the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in China. For the latter tournament, the players had to sew themselves the own Australian crests onto the team tracksuits.^[15] Two years later, Australia hosted the 1989 Oceania Cup in Brisbane with Australia entering two teams in Australia A and B.^[16] After originally being separated in the two groups,^[17] neither team made to the final with Chinese Taipei defeating both Australia B and Australia A to force the Australians to take on each other for the third-place playoff which would be rained out.^[18][19]

The following edition in 1991 tournament doubled as qualifiers for the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, and the winner was determined by the best results from a group.^[20] Australia finished level on points with New Zealand, but had scored fewer goals, which resulted in New Zealand progressed to the World Cup as OFC representative.^[21]

The 1990s: Continued growth

Between 1991 and 1994, the Matildas played internationally during a tour of Russia in 1994.^[22] The Oceania tournament in 1994 again doubled as World Cup qualifiers in the same round-robin format. Again, Australia finished even with New Zealand on points but this time had a superior goal difference, and qualified for their first FIFA Women's World Cup.^[13]

Before 1995, the nickname for the women's team was just "Female Socceroos", derivative of the male squad. Thus in 1995 the Australian Women's Soccer Association joined with Special Broadcasting Service to broadcast a naming competition for the female team. Out of five names, the popular vote chose "Matildas", from the song "Waltzing Matilda". The players themselves did not approve of the name, and took years to use the moniker to describe the team.^[23]

At the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden, Australia were grouped with the United States, China and Denmark. During their opening match against Denmark, they lost 5–0.^[24] During the team's second match, a 4–2 loss to China, Angela Iannotta scored Australia's first goal at a World Cup.^[24] In the final group match against cup holders the United States, Australia scored first but went on to lose 4–1.^[24]

In 1996, the team entered into its first kit sponsorship deal, with rising sportswear brand Asics. The deal was initiated during a chance conversation between team manager Tom Sermanni, the CEO of the AWSA, Peter Hugg, and an Asics' representative, Lawrie McKinna, who had become a fan of women's football due to his acquaintance with former team member Janine McPhee. Asics and team management jointly developed the design of the first sponsored strip; it incorporated new technology that made it lighter and more comfortable for the players than their previous kit.^[14]

The Matildas would assert their Continental strength at the 1998 Oceania Cup, which doubled as a World Cup qualifying tournament. Australia thrashed their Pacific island opposition in their group games and semi-final, before defeating hosts New Zealand in the final 3–1 (the only goal conceded for the tournament), and qualifying for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup in USA. At the tournament, Australia was grouped with Sweden, China and Ghana. In their opening match, they secured their first non-loss in a World Cup match with a 1–1 draw against the Ghanaians.^[25] Their following group matches were both 3–1 losses, finishing third in the group.^[26][27]

Australia still did not have much attention and respect, with the Matildas forced to train with second-hand equipment from the Socceroos, not getting paid and with few games to play.^[13] In 1999, to promote themselves and raise funds for the team, most of the Matildas posed for an AWSA board-approved nude calendar, which sold over 40,000 units.^[23][28]

2000–2004: First Olympics appearances

The profile built for the sport carried into 2000, where the Matildas had a guaranteed spot for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney as host nation. In their Olympic debut, they would be facing the top seven placed teams from the previous year's Women's World Cup (which back then doubled as the Olympic qualifiers). While in January a friendly match against the Czech Republic in Melbourne's Bob Jane Stadium attracted only 1,500 spectators, a crowd of 10,000 came to the Matildas' game against China at the Sydney Football Stadium in June.^[23] Much anticipation surrounded the team's Olympic performance on home soil. Australia started strongly against the formidable Germany, but in the end went down 3-0. Next up was a gutsy performance against Sweden, the Aussie defence soaking up immense pressure. Australia took the lead only to share the points from a controversial Sweden penalty. The draw lifted Australia's hopes of still advancing into the semifinals, which they could achieve with a third-match win. A brilliant performance and a wonder goal by Sunni Hughes gave Australia the first half lead against Brazil, but two errors allowed Brazil to claim victory 2-1, quickly dissolving Australia's dreams. The legacy of a home Olympics featuring the best in the world further raised the profile of women's soccer in Australia.

The team were the host nation for an annual invitational tournament called the Australia Cup, from 1999 to 2004 inclusive, winning it twice.

Following the Olympics, many problems halted the Matildas' schedules. As Ernie Merrick backed out on his intentions to coach the team, Adrian Santrac only took over as manager in November, and Australia played no games in 2001. The following year the team argued over the calendar proceeds with the promoter, and AWSA went into liquidation with debts of over $70,000; all of its other assets were absorbed by Soccer Australia (current Football Federation Australia). In-between, many players opted to retire from the national team.^[28][29]

In 2003, they competed in the Oceania Cup with the team winning all four matches to the combined score of 45 goals to nil with the closest being a 2–0 win over New Zealand.^[30] Qualifying for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the Australians were drawn in Group D with China, Ghana and Russia, the Australians only scored a single point at the World Cup with a 1–1 draw against China.^[31] Though two losses against Russia and Ghana meant that they finished bottom of the group.^[32][33]

The team won the 2004 OFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Fiji to return to Olympic tournament in Athens 2004.^[34] The Matildas won their first Olympic game ever against Greece, and managed to qualify for the quarterfinals,^[35] losing to Sweden 2–1.^[36]

2005–2009: Move to Asia

The Matildas before a game against Italy in 2009

In 2006, Australia moved from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation,^[37] with the following month seeing the country getting hosting rights for the 2006 AFC Women's Asian Cup.^[38] The Australians were drawn in Group B with Myanmar, North Korea, South Korea and Thailand. During the group stage, the Matildas scored eleven goals during the group stage which included a 4–0 win against South Korea^[39] but would go on to finish in second place in the group by goal difference. In the semi-final, goals from Caitlin Munoz and Joanne Peters gave Australia a 2–0 win over tournament favorites Japan. This win also meant that the national team qualified through to the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup which was held in China.^[40] The Matildas would go to lose in the final by penalties to China with the Chinese coming back from two goals down from half time.^[41]

During early 2007, Australia competed in the qualifiers for the 2008 Olympics which was held in China. After sweeping their group with nine points from nine, the Australians would only finish second in the final round group behind North Korea winning both matches against each other by a score of 2–0.^[42]

Two months later, Australia draw for the World Cup was revealed with the nation being placed in Group C with Canada, Ghana and Norway.^[43] The opening match of the 2007 World Cup saw Australia record their first victory in a World Cup with two goals from Lisa De Vanna assisted Australia to a 4–1 victory over Ghana in Hangzhou.^[44] This was followed up with two draws against Norway (1–1) and Canada (2–2) with a late goal from Cheryl Salisbury booking Australia spot into the quarter finals for the first time in team history.^[45] In the knockout stage, the Australians came back from two goals down early in the first half to level the match at two-all with goals from De Vanna and Lauren Colthorpe. But a 75th-minute goal from Brazilian striker, Cristiane gave Brazil a 3–2 win which ended the World Cup run at the quarter-final stage.

In 2008, the Matildas competed in the 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup. They were drawn in Group B, placing second in the group with relative ease behind Japan, who they would eventually face in the third place playoff. With the Matildas progressing from the group stage to the semi-finals, they were paired up against North Korea. North Korea won the match 3–0 and went on to win the tournament. This led them on to the third place playoff, facing Japan for a second time in the tournament and again losing, leaving the Matildas in fourth place.

2010–2013

2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup, China

External videos
Aussies Abroad: The Matildas (ESPN)

In 2010, the Matildas qualified for the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup in China. They beat Vietnam (2–0) and South Korea (3–1) before losing to China 1–0 which made them advance in second place and advance to the Semi-finals where they beat Japan 1–0. The final which was played in wet conditions was history making itself with it being the first senior soccer team (men or women) to make a final in the AFC. They created more history by being the first ever Australian soccer team to win in Asia after beating the team of Korea DPR in penalties during the final, 5–4, after a regular time score of 1–1 (Australia's lone and equalising goal being scored by Sam Kerr). The title gave the Matildas a berth at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.^[46]

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, Germany

Australia playing the United States in 2012

The following year the team contested the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in Germany, being sorted into Group D. Despite losing 1–0 to Brazil in the opening game, victories of 3–2 and 2–1 over Equatorial Guinea and Norway respectively qualified the Matildas to the quarterfinals.^[47] At the knockout stage, the team lost 3–1 to Sweden. Caitlin Foord was awarded Best Young Player of the tournament, and defender Elise Kellond-Knight was chosen for the All-Star Team.

2014–2019: Stajcic era

After operating as interim head coach of the Matildas in late April and May 2014 for the Matildas’ Asian Cup campaign. In 2014, Alen Stajcic was appointed permanent head coach of the squad in late 2014.^[48]

2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup, Vietnam

In 2014, the Matildas qualified for the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Vietnam. They drawn in Group A alongside Japan, Vietnam and Jordan, earning 2 victories and a draw with Japan which earnt them second place on goal difference. They were drawn against South Korea in the semi-finals, defeating them 2–1, but ultimately lost 1–0 to Japan in the final.^[49]

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Canada

The Matildas were drawn in the group of death for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in Canada, sharing Group D with USA and Sweden.^[50] After first losing to USA 1–3, they came back into contention with a 2–0 defeat of Nigeria. The crunch last game against Sweden resulted in a 1–1 draw, with both goals scored in the first 15 minutes of the game. With Sweden needing to win, the Matildas held on, only needing to draw under the three points for a win system (whereas they would have tied with Sweden in the group under two points for a win).

They became the first Australian team, women's or men's, to win a knockout stage match at a World Cup when they defeated Brazil by a score of 1–0. The goal was scored by Kyah Simon after a shot by Lisa de Vanna was blocked and redirected by goalkeeper Luciana. In the quarterfinals, the Matildas lost to defending champions Japan in a late goal by Mana Iwabuchi.^[51]

2016 Olympic Games, Rio

The following year, they contested in qualifiers for the 2016 Summer Olympics where they finished on top of the group after defeating all of the opponents bar China,^[52] to get to the Olympic Games. Drawn in Group F, Australia lost to Canada, conceded a draw to Germany, and defeated Zimbabwe in a blowout to finish as the best third placed team. The adversary in the quarterfinals were hosts Brazil,^[53] who avenged the defeat one year prior in the penalty shootouts as goalkeeper Bárbara saved Alanna Kennedy's kick.^[54]

Post 2016 Olympics

At the 2017 Tournament of Nations event, the Matildas recorded their first ever win over the United States after 27 attempts, defeating them 1–0 in Seattle.^[55] The Matildas went on to defeat Japan 4–2 and Brazil 6–1 to finish as the inaugural tournament champions.^[56] Following the Tournament of Nations, the Matildas scheduled a series of two friendlies hosting Brazil, with the first match at Penrith Stadium being sold-out,^[57] and an even larger crowd of nearly 17,000 attending the next match 3 days later in Newcastle.^[58]

In December 2017, Matildas were awarded the Public Choice Team of the Year at the Australian Institute of Sport Awards.^[59]

2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup, Jordan

At the 2018 AFC Asian Cup, held in Jordan, Australia reached the final after defeating Thailand in the semi-final on penalty kicks. They would lose 1–0 to Japan in the final, but nonetheless secured a spot at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.^[60]

Post 2018 Asian Cup

Later that year at the 2018 Tournament of Nations Australia once again went undefeated, finishing the tournament with two wins and one draw. They were tied with the United States with 7 points, but the US had a superior goal differential and were crowned tournament champions.^[61]

2019–2020: Milicic era

Australia during the Women's World Cup 2019

Despite entering 2019 on the back of good form and with their highest ever placement on the FIFA ranking list (4th), the Matildas coach Alen Stajcic was sacked from the role in January 2019 by Football Federation Australia (FFA), whose chief executive David Gallop said the decision was based on confidential surveys and conversations with players and staff.^[62] The decision proved to be very controversial, as the FFA refused to discuss any further specifics as to the reasoning for the decision and was made only months out from a World Cup appearance. Some players, such as Sam Kerr, Lydia Williams and Elise Kellond-Knight spoke in support of Stajcic and voiced their surprise at his sacking.^[63] Former men's national team assistant Ante Milicic was later appointed coach.^[64]

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, France

For the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in France, Australia was drawn in Group C with Italy, Brazil, and Jamaica. A 2–1 injury time loss to Italy was followed by a 3–2 win against Brazil. This victory was notable for 3 reasons – Australia came back from a 2–0 deficit, these were the first goals conceded by Brazil in the group stage in 16 years and it was their first group stage loss for 24 years. The comeback against the Brazilians is called until today as the "Miracle of Montpellier".^[65] The final group game was a 4–1 win over Jamaica with Sam Kerr scoring all four goals, becoming the first Australian player — male or female — to score a hat trick at a World Cup tournament.^[66] The result saw Australia finish second in the group and proceed to play Norway in the round of sixteen. The game finished one-all after both regulation time and extra time with Norway winning the penalty shoot-out 4–1.^[67]

2020–2024: Gustavsson era

In September 2020, Football Federation Australia named Swede and former United States Women's National Soccer Team assistant coach Tony Gustavsson as the Matildas' new head coach, signing him on a deal running through 2024 (up to and including the 2024 Olympics in Paris).^[68]

First kit used in Olympic Tokyo 2020 Women Football

Second kit used in Olympic Tokyo 2020 Women Football

2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo

In 2020, the Matildas qualified for the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics where they finished top of all competing nations during the 2020 Asian Football Confederation's Qualifying Tournament.^[69] They were placed in Group G with countries Sweden, the United States, and New Zealand, nicknamed the 'Group of Death.'^[70] After beating New Zealand, losing to Sweden, and drawing with the United States, they were ranked third in their group and progressed to the quarter finals against Great Britain.^[71] The match saw Australia open the scoring with a 1-goal advantage, before Great Britain surpassed them with a 1-goal advantage in the second half. An 89th-minute goal by captain Sam Kerr saw Australia equalise before advancing to extra time. During the extra 30 minutes of play, Mary Fowler and Kerr scored an additional two goals to bring the score to 4–2, before Ellen White completed her hat trick. The game ended with a 4–3 scoreline, resulting in Australia's first entry into an Olympic semi-final, playing against Sweden for the second time in the tournament.^[72] Despite a strong performance and a disallowed goal by Kerr, they lost 1–0, relegating them to a bronze medal match playoff against the United States.^[73] The semi-final match against Sweden broke women's sport TV viewing records in Australia, with 2.32 million viewers tuning in.^[74] In the bronze medal match, they lost 4–3 to the United States, resulting in the Matilda's 7th loss of the year.^[75] Finishing fourth, the 2020 Olympics were the Matildas' most successful performance at the Olympics, having previously never progressed beyond the quarter-finals since its inception in 1996.^[76]

Post 2020 Olympics

After their Olympics bronze medal defeat, Australia played their first ever match against the Republic of Ireland on 21 September 2021, with it being Sam Kerr's 100th cap.^[77] In October, they played a series of home friendlies against Brazil, their first matches on home soil since 2019, recording a win and a draw.^[78] In November, in their final matches of the 2021 calendar year, they played another series of home friendlies against World Number 1 side the United States, recording a defeat and a draw.^[79] These two matches broke attendance records in Australia – the first match played on 27 November in Stadium Australia, Sydney, broke the all-time standalone Matildas home attendance record set in 2000, with 36,109 spectators.^[80] The second game broke the attendance record of any Matildas game played at Newcastle, with 20,495 spectators.^[80] 2021 also saw a record number of Matildas' debutants, with 13 players making their first senior international caps, and a record number of players reaching the 100th cap milestones, including Emily Van Egmond, Kyah Simon, Sam Kerr, Alanna Kennedy and Tameka Yallop.^[81]

2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, India

The Matildas began 2022 by participating in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, held in India. They were drawn into Group B, against Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.^[82] They played their opening match against Indonesia, beating them 18–0, a record win for the team against any opponent within the Asian confederation.^[83] The game also saw Sam Kerr scoring 5 goals, whereby equalling and surpassing Tim Cahill's previous Australian international goal-scoring record of 50 goals, making Kerr the all-time leading scorer for Australia, both male or female.^[83] Australia finished top in their group undefeated, conceding just one solitary goal, however the team surprisingly crashed out in the quarter-finals to eventual runners-up South Korea 0–1.^[84]

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

See also: Matildas fever

Australia co-hosted the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup along with New Zealand, after the bidding decision was announced on 25 June 2020.^[85] As hosts, Australia were drawn into Group B, a group which also contained Canada, Nigeria, and debutant Ireland.^[86]

Before the tournament, Australia participated in the 2023 Cup of Nations alongside Spain, Jamaica, and the Czech Republic. Australia has already defeated Czech Republic 4–0 in their opening game and Spain 3–2 in their second game, only needing a draw in their game against Jamaica to win the tournament.^[87] Australia beat Jamaica 3–0 to lift the Cup of Nations on 22 February 2023.^[88]

Australia started the tournament with a tense 1–0 victory over Ireland by Stephanie Catley, with the only goal scored from a penalty kick.^[89] Part of this tension was due to the news that captain Sam Kerr was going to miss the first two if not all of the group games by an calf injury.^[90] They followed this up with a 3–2 loss against Nigeria.^[91] In danger of elimination, they defeated reigning Olympic champion Canada 4–0. Not only was this Australia's biggest ever win at a World Cup match, Australia topped their group at a World Cup for the first time.^[92]

In the Round of 16, Australia defeated Denmark 2–0 with a goal in each half. It also marked Sam Kerr's first appearance in the tournament. This was just the second time Australia won a knockout match at the Women's World Cup.^[93]

Australia went on to defeat France 7–6 on penalty kicks, with the Matildas becoming the first senior Australian team to make a world cup semi-final.^[94] The quarter-final match between Australia and France also saw the longest penalty shootout in the history of the FIFA Women's World Cup, with 20 total kicks.^[95]

The Matildas were defeated 3–1 by England at the FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals on 16 August.^[96] Their campaign ended with a 2–0 loss to Sweden to finish fourth. This marked the highest-ever finish of any Australian soccer team in senior level.^[97]

2024 Olympic Games, Paris

Main articles: 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament and Football at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament

Australia had a bye for the first round of the 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament due to their FIFA ranking.^[98] For the second round they played three matches in Perth against Iran, Philippines, and Chinese Taipei, with Australian winning 2–0, 8–0, and 3–0, respectively. They proceeded to the third round to play a pair of home and away games against Uzbekistan,^[99] winning both games (aggregate of 13–0) and qualifying for the Olympics.^[100] For the Olympic Tournament, Australia were assigned to Group B with Germany, Zambia, and United States, they played their group matches from 25 to 31 July 2024.^[101][102] With defeats by Germany and United States and a poor goal difference, the Matildas did not progress from the Group stage.^[103]

2024–present: Post-Gustavsson era

On 1 August 2024, it was confirmed that Gustavsson's role as head coach would not be extended, following Australia's early exit from the Olympic Games which was to be the end of his contract.^[104] On 17 September, former Matilda's coach Tom Sermanni was appointed interim coach.^[105] Football Australia's James Johnson announced six friendlies against four international teams: Switzerland, Germany, Brazil (two home games) and Chinese Taipei (two home games) from late October to early December.^[106]

Team image

Regarded as Australia's most beloved national sporting team in 2019, the Matildas have grown its fanbase over recent years, due to increased exposure, successful tournaments and skilled players coming on to play both internationally and at club level, including captain Sam Kerr, widely regarded as one of the world's best soccer players.^[107] In November 2023, the Australian National Dictionary Centre announced "Matilda" as the 2023 Word of the Year,^[108] following the team's successful World Cup campaign that year which attracted unprecedented nationwide attention– media outlets used the term Matildas fever to describe the positive atmosphere.^[109][110]

Kits

As is traditional with national Australian sporting teams, the Matildas wear a combination of green and gold as their "home" colours, the national colours of Australia. The kit has been manufactured by Nike since 2004, in partnership with Football Australia (formerly Football Federation Australia).^[111] Nike began producing specific women's national team kits since the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.^[112]

The most recent home kit worn at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup features a gold top with a marbled pattern and green trimming, and green shorts with white socks, the press release stating that it "celebrates the country's iconic Outback and beaches". The away kit features a bright blue top, shorts and socks, with a darker blue and yellow trims said to "celebrate the country's natural wonders" and drawing "inspiration from the vivid sea".^[113]

At the world cup, it was reported that the 2023 kit outsold the 2019 edition 13 to one,^[114] and sold more than the Socceroos kits during their entire 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign before the 2023 Women's World Cup even started.^[115]

During the Olympics only, the team wears kits manufactured by Asics as the teamwear supplier for the Australian Olympic Committee.^[116]

Nicknames

The team's official nickname is "the Matildas" (from the Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda), sometimes shortened to Tillies by fans.^[117] They were known as the "Female Socceroos" before 1995.^[118][117]

Naming rights

Under a naming rights deal with Scentre Group and its predecessor, Westfield Group, the team was branded as "Westfield Matildas" from 2008 to 2021.^[119] The team is currently branded as "CommBank Matildas", based on a multi-year financial investment in the team by the Commonwealth Bank.^[120]

Media coverage

Australian matches (excluding finals tournament of the FIFA Women's World Cup and Olympic Games (until 2032)) are broadcast by Paramount+ and on free-to-air by Network 10.^[121] In 2021, during the broadcast of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Matildas broke TV viewing records of any women's team sport in history. The record was initially broken during their second group stage match against Sweden, drawing in 1,468,000 viewers.^[122] The record was broken again during their quarter-final clash against Great Britain, drawing in 2.27 million viewers, before recording the all-time record of 2.32 million viewers watching them compete against Sweden in the Olympic semi-final.^[123]

In the 2023 Women's World Cup, the Quarterfinal game between Australia and France averaged over 4 million viewers and peaked at 7.2 million viewers on Channel 7, which was the most watched sporting event since Cathy Freeman's 400 meters gold medal in the Sydney 2000 Olympics in Australia.^[124] This statistic does not include live viewings, pubs, stadiums and parties where the game was shown.

From 2024 until 2032, Matildas matches during Summer Olympics finals tournament will be aired live on free-to-air Nine Network and Nine's subscription streaming via Stan.

Attendance

The current home attendance record for a Matilda's stand-alone match is 76,798, set on 3 June 2024 during their friendly match against China.^[125]

Supporters

The main supporter group of the Australian women's national team is Matildas Active Support .^[126]

Results and fixtures

Further information: Australia women's national soccer team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

2023

Australia  v  Chinese Taipei

1 November 2024 Olympic qualifiers R2	Australia	3–0	Chinese Taipei	Perth, Australia
19:00 UTC+8	Fowler 62' Kerr 68' Yallop 76'	Report		Stadium: Perth Rectangular Stadium Attendance: 19,084 Referee: Oh Hyeon-jeong (South Korea)

Canada  v  Australia

1 December Friendly	Canada	5–0	Australia	Langford, Canada
19:30 PST	Prince 10', 43' Lacasse 49' Awujo 55' Leon 62'	Report		Stadium: Starlight Stadium Attendance: 6,102 Referee: Deily Gómez (Costa Rica)

Canada  v  Australia

5 December Friendly	Canada	1–0	Australia	Vancouver, Canada
19:00 PST	Quinn 40'	Report		Stadium: Christine Sinclair Place Attendance: 48,112 Referee: Katja Koroleva (United States)

2024

Uzbekistan  v  Australia

24 February 2024 Olympic Qualifiers R3	Uzbekistan	0–3	Australia	Tashkent, Uzbekistan
14:00 UTC+5		Report	Heyman 72' Fowler 84' Foord 86'	Stadium: Milliy Stadium Attendance: 2,347 Referee: Oh Hyeon-jeong (South Korea)

Australia  v  Uzbekistan

28 February 2024 Olympic Qualifiers R3	Australia	10–0 (13–0 agg.)	Uzbekistan	Melbourne, Australia
20:10 UTC+11	Asadova 1' (o.g.) Heyman 4', 8', 16', 45+2' Torpey 22' Fowler 36' Foord 38' Raso 68' Sayer 90+4'	Report		Stadium: Docklands Stadium Attendance: 54,120 Referee: Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan)

Mexico  v  Australia

9 April Friendly	Mexico	0–2	Australia	San Antonio, United States
19:00 UTC-5		Report	Raso 9' Foord 52'	Stadium: Toyota Field Attendance: 7,163 Referee: Natalie Simon (United States)

Australia  v  China

31 May Friendly	Australia	1–1	China	Adelaide, Australia
19:40 UTC+09:30	Heyman 90+5'	Report	Zhang 30'	Stadium: Adelaide Oval Attendance: 52,912 Referee: Kim Yu-jeong (South Korea)

Australia  v  China

3 June Friendly	Australia	2–0	China	Sydney, Australia
19:30 UTC+10:00	Wheeler 48' Raso 56'	Report		Stadium: Accor Stadium Attendance: 76,798 Referee: Oh Hyun-jung (South Korea)

Australia  v  Canada

13 July 'B' Friendly	Australia	1–2	Canada	Marbella, Spain
21:00 UTC+02:00	Freier 23'	Report	Prince 41' Viens 85'	Stadium: Estadio Municipal de Marbella Attendance: 0 (behind closed doors) Referee: Abraham Dominguez Cervantes (Spain)

Germany  v  Australia

25 July 2024 Olympics GS	Germany	3–0	Australia	Marseille, France
19:00 UTC+2	Hegering 24' Schüller 64' Brand 68'	Report		Stadium: Stade de Marseille Attendance: 9,731 Referee: Katia García (Mexico)

Australia  v  Zambia

28 July 2024 Olympics GS	Australia	6–5	Zambia	Nice, France
19:00 UTC+2	Kennedy 7' Raso 35' Musole 58' (o.g.) Catley 65', 78' (pen.) Heyman 90'	Report	B. Banda 1', 33', 45+2' Kundananji 21', 56'	Stadium: Stade de Nice Attendance: 4,441 Referee: Emikar Calderas (Venezuela)

Australia  v  United States

31 July 2024 Olympics GS	Australia	1–2	United States	Marseille, France
19:00 UTC+2	Kennedy 90+2'	Report	Rodman 43' Albert 77'	Stadium: Stade de Marseille Attendance: 13,036 Referee: François Letexier (France)

Switzerland  v  Australia

25 October Friendly	Switzerland	1–1	Australia	Zurich, Switzerland
20:00 UTC+2	Reuteler 58'	Report	Foord 43' (pen.)	Stadium: Stadion Letzigrund Attendance: 14,370 Referee: Shona Shukrula (Netherlands)

Germany  v  Australia

28 October Friendly	Germany	1–2	Australia	Duisburg, Germany
18:10 UTC+1	Cerci 5'	Report	Cooney-Cross 39' Hunt 77'	Stadium: Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena Attendance: 26,623 Referee: Maria Marotta (Italy)

Australia  v  Brazil

28 November Friendly	Australia	v	Brazil	Brisbane, Australia
20:00 UTC+10		Source		Stadium: Suncorp Stadium

Australia  v  Brazil

1 December Friendly	Australia	v	Brazil	Gold Coast, Australia
18:35 UTC+10		Source		Stadium: Cbus Super Stadium

Australia  v  Chinese Taipei

4 December Friendly	Australia	v	Chinese Taipei	Melbourne, Australia
20:00 UTC+11		Source		Stadium: AAMI Park

Australia  v  Chinese Taipei

7 December Friendly	Australia	v	Chinese Taipei	Geelong, Australia
19:30 UTC+11		Source		Stadium: GMHBA Stadium

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

Position	Name
Head coach (interim)	Tom Sermanni
Assistant coaches	Leah Blayney Jean-Paul de Marigny
Goalkeeping coach	Tony Franken

Manager history

See also: Category:Australia women's national soccer team managers

As of 28 October 2024 after the match against Germany.

#	Name	Period	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Winning %	Ref.
1	Jim Selby	1979–1980	6	2	3	1	33.33%	[127][128][129]
2	Trixie Tagg	1981	1	1	0	0	100%	[130][131]
3	Jim Selby	1983–1984	8	3	3	2	37.5%	[127][129]
4	Fred Robins	1986–1987	9	3	1	5	33.33%	[132]
5	John Doyle	1988–1989	7	3	0	4	42.86%	[133][134]
6	Steve Darby	1989–1991	6	3	2	1	50.0%	[135]
7	John Reid	1994	5	0	2	3	0.0%	[129]
8	Tom Sermanni	1994–1997	31	13	2	16	41.94%	[136]
9	Greg Brown	1997–1999	37	14	8	15	37.84%	[137]
10	Chris Tanzey	1999–2000	17	3	3	11	17.65%	[137][138]
11	Adrian Santrac	2001–2004	43	19	9	15	44.19%	[139]
12	Tom Sermanni	2005–2012	105	60	12	33	57.14%	[136][140]
13	Hesterine de Reus	2013–2014	13	6	2	5	46.15%	[141][142]
14	Alen Stajcic	2014–2019	63	35	15	13	55.56%	[143][144][145]
15	Ante Milicic	2019–2020	16	11	2	3	68.75%	[146][147]
16	Tony Gustavsson	2020–2024	59	30	7	22	50.85%	[148][149]
17	Tom Sermanni	2024–present (Interim)	2	1	1	0	50.0%	[105]

Players

Main article: List of Australia women's international soccer players

Current squad

The following players were named to the squad for friendlies against Switzerland on 25 October and Germany on 28 October.^[150][151]

Caps and goals are current as of 28 October 2024 after the match against Germany.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Mackenzie Arnold	(1994-02-25) 25 February 1994 (age 30)	54	0	Portland Thorns
18	1GK	Jada Mathyssen-Whyman	(1999-10-24) 24 October 1999 (age 25)	0	0	AIK
28	1GK	Chloe Lincoln	(2005-01-04) 4 January 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Western United
2	2DF	Courtney Nevin	(2002-02-12) 12 February 2002 (age 22)	28	0	Leicester City
3	2DF	Winonah Heatley	(2001-06-18) 18 June 2001 (age 23)	1	0	Nordsjælland
4	2DF	Clare Polkinghorne	(1989-02-01) 1 February 1989 (age 35)	167	16	Kristianstads DFF
7	2DF	Steph Catley (interim captain)	(1994-01-26) 26 January 1994 (age 30)	131	7	Arsenal
8	2DF	Kaitlyn Torpey	(2000-03-17) 17 March 2000 (age 24)	10	1	San Diego Wave
14	2DF	Alanna Kennedy	(1995-01-21) 21 January 1995 (age 29)	129	11	Manchester City
15	2DF	Clare Hunt	(1999-03-12) 12 March 1999 (age 25)	25	1	Tottenham Hotspur
21	2DF	Ellie Carpenter	(2000-04-28) 28 April 2000 (age 24)	82	4	Lyon
22	2DF	Charlotte Grant	(2001-09-20) 20 September 2001 (age 23)	25	1	Tottenham Hotspur
6	3MF	Clare Wheeler	(1998-01-14) 14 January 1998 (age 26)	26	2	Everton
10	3MF	Emily van Egmond	(1993-07-12) 12 July 1993 (age 31)	149	31	San Diego Wave
11	3MF	Mary Fowler	(2003-02-14) 14 February 2003 (age 21)	58	15	Manchester City
13	3MF	Tameka Yallop	(1991-06-16) 16 June 1991 (age 33)	126	13	Brisbane Roar
19	3MF	Katrina Gorry	(1992-08-13) 13 August 1992 (age 32)	112	17	West Ham United
23	3MF	Kyra Cooney-Cross	(2002-02-15) 15 February 2002 (age 22)	50	1	Arsenal
26	3MF	Daniela Galic	(2006-06-17) 17 June 2006 (age 18)	1	0	Twente
	3MF	Sarah Hunter	(2003-10-07) 7 October 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Paris FC
9	4FW	Caitlin Foord	(1994-11-11) 11 November 1994 (age 29)	128	37	Arsenal
24	4FW	Sharn Freier	(2001-07-24) 24 July 2001 (age 23)	5	0	Brisbane Roar
32	4FW	Michelle Heyman	(1988-07-04) 4 July 1988 (age 36)	71	27	Canberra United

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up to the squad within the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Teagan Micah	(1997-10-20) 20 October 1997 (age 27)	17	0	Liverpool	2024 Summer Olympics
GK	Lydia Williams	(1988-05-13) 13 May 1988 (age 36)	104	0	Melbourne Victory	2024 Summer Olympics ALT RET
DF	Aivi Luik	(1985-03-18) 18 March 1985 (age 39)	45	1	BK Häcken	v.  Mexico, 9 April 2024 INJ
DF	Charlize Rule	(2003-02-16) 16 February 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Brighton & Hove Albion	v.  Canada, 5 December 2023
MF	Amy Sayer	(2001-11-30) 30 November 2001 (age 22)	11	1	Kristianstads DFF	v.  Mexico, 9 April 2024 INJ
MF	Chloe Logarzo	(1994-12-22) 22 December 1994 (age 29)	55	8	Western United	AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying
MF	Alex Chidiac	(1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 25)	33	2	Melbourne Victory	v.  Canada, 5 December 2023
FW	Hayley Raso	(1994-09-05) 5 September 1994 (age 30)	90	19	Tottenham Hotspur	v.  Switzerland, 25 October 2024 INJ
FW	Cortnee Vine	(1998-04-09) 9 April 1998 (age 26)	30	3	North Carolina Courage	2024 Summer Olympics
FW	Emily Gielnik	(1992-05-13) 13 May 1992 (age 32)	57	11	Melbourne Victory	v.  Mexico, 9 April 2024 INJ
FW	Sophie Harding	(1999-06-10) 10 June 1999 (age 25)	0	0	Western Sydney Wanderers	AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying PRE
FW	Remy Siemsen	(1999-11-10) 10 November 1999 (age 24)	7	0	Kristianstads DFF	v.  Canada, 5 December 2023
FW	Sam Kerr (captain)	(1993-09-10) 10 September 1993 (age 31)	128	69	Chelsea	v.  Canada, 1 December 2023 INJ
FW	Holly McNamara	(2003-01-23) 23 January 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Melbourne City	v.  Canada, 1 December 2023 INJ

Notes

• ^ALT Alternate.
• ^INJ Withdrew due to injury.
• ^PRE Preliminary squad / on stand-by.
• ^RET Retired from national team.

Player records

Main article: List of Australia women's international soccer players

See also: Category:Australia women's international soccer players

As of 28 October 2024

Players in bold are still active, at least at club level.

Most caps

#	Player	Span	Caps	Goals
1	Clare Polkinghorne	2006–present	167	16
2	Cheryl Salisbury	1994–2009	151	38
3	Lisa De Vanna	2004–2019	150	47
4	Emily van Egmond	2010–present	149	31
5	Steph Catley	2012–present	131	20
6	Heather Garriock	1999–2011	131	7
7	Alanna Kennedy	2012–present	129	11
8	Caitlin Foord	2011–present	128	37
	Sam Kerr	2009–present		69
10	Tameka Yallop	2007–present	126	13

Most goals

#	Player	Span	Goals	Caps	Ratio
1	Sam Kerr (list)	2009–present	69	128	0.54
2	Lisa De Vanna	2004–2019	47	150	0.31
3	Kate Gill	2004–2015	41	86	0.48
4	Cheryl Salisbury	1994–2009	38	151	0.26
5	Caitlin Foord	2011–present	37	128	0.29
6	Sarah Walsh	2004–2012	32	70	0.46
7	Emily van Egmond	2010–present	31	149	0.21
8	Kyah Simon	2007–present	29	111	0.26
9	Joanne Peters	1996–2009	28	110	0.25
10	Michelle Heyman	2010–present	27	71	0.39

Most clean sheets

#	Player	Span	Clean sheets	Caps	Ratio
1	Melissa Barbieri	2002–2015	34	86	0.40
2	Lydia Williams	2005–present	31	104	0.30
3	Mackenzie Arnold	2012–present	23	54	0.43
4	Tracey Wheeler	1989–2000	11	49	0.22
5	Claire Nichols	1994–2003	9	19	0.47
	Belinda Kitching	1996–1999		32	0.28
7	Cassandra Kell	2002–2004	7	24	0.29
8	Teagan Micah	2021–present	6	17	0.38
9	Brianna Davey	2012–2015	5	18	0.28

Captains

Player	Span	Ref.
Patricia O'Connor	1975	[5]
Julie Dolan	1979–1984	[152]
Sue Monteath	1984–1987	[153][154]
Julie Murray	1995–1999	[155]
Alison Forman	2000	[156]
Cheryl Salisbury	2003–2009	[157][158]
Melissa Barbieri	2010–2013	[159]
Clare Polkinghorne & Kate Gill	2013–2014	[160]
Clare Polkinghorne & Lisa De Vanna	2015–2019	[161][162]
Sam Kerr	2019–present	[163]

Competitive record

See also: Australia women's national soccer team all-time record

Australia has played matches against international opponents on a consistent basis since 1978.^[164] To date, they have played 55 different nations and governing bodies, across FIFA World Cups, invitational tournaments, the OFC Women's Nations Cup (until 2004), the AFC Women's Asian Cup (from 2006) and international friendlies.

FIFA Women's World Cup

Main article: Australia at the FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1991	Did not qualify
1995	Group stage	12th	3	0	0	3	3	13
1999		11th	3	0	1	2	3	7
2003		13th	3	0	1	2	3	5
2007	Quarter-finals	6th	4	1	2	1	9	7
2011		8th	4	2	0	2	6	7
2015		7th	5	2	1	2	5	5
2019	Round of 16	9th	4	2	1	1	9	6
2023	Fourth place	4th	7	3	1	3	10	8
2027	To be determined
Total	8/9	0 titles	33	10	7	16	48	58

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1996	Did not qualify
2000	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	6
2004	Quarter-finals	5th	4	1	1	2	3	4
2008	Did not qualify
2012
2016	Quarter-finals	7th	4	1	2	1	8	5
2020	Fourth place	4th	6	2	1	3	11	13
2024	Group stage	9th	3	1	0	2	7	10
2028	To be determined
2032	Qualified as hosts
Total	5/8	0 titles	20	5	5	10	31	38

OFC Women's Nations Cup

OFC Women's Nations Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1983	Runners-up	2nd	4	2	1	1	20	3
1986	Runners-up	2nd	4	2	0	2	4	6
1989	Third place	3rd	4	1	1	2	7	6
1991	Runners-up	2nd	4	3	0	1	21	1
1994	Champions	1st	4	3	0	1	13	2
1998	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	49	1
2003	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	45	0
Total	7/7	3 titles	28	19	2	7	159	19

AFC Women's Asian Cup

AFC Women's Asian Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1975[lower-alpha 1]	Third place	3rd	4	2	0	2	12	6
1977	Not an AFC member
1980[lower-alpha 2]	Third place	3rd	6	2	0	4	4	10
1981–2003	Not an AFC member
2006	Runners-up	2nd	6	4	2	0	15	2
2008	Fourth place	4th	5	2	0	3	7	9
2010	Champions	1st	5	4	0	1	7	3
2014	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	1	1	9	5
2018	Runners-up	2nd	5	1	3	1	11	4
2022	Quarter-finals	5th	4	3	0	1	24	2
2026	Qualified as host
2029	To be determined
Total	7/20	1 title	34	19	6	9	85	31

AFF Women's Championship

AFF Women's Championship record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2004	Did not participate
2006
2007
2008	Champions	1st	5	5	0	0	21	1
2011	Did not participate
2012
2013	See Australia women's national under-20 soccer team
2015
2016
2018
2019	Did not participate
2022	See Australia women's national under-23 soccer team
Total	1/6	1 title	5	5	0	0	21	1

Honours

Major tournaments

• OFC Women's Championship

Champions: 1994, 1998, 2003

Runners-up: 1983, 1986, 1991

• AFC Women's Asian Cup

Champions: 2010

Runners-up: 2006, 2014, 2018

• AFF Women's Championship

Champions: 2008

Minor tournaments

Champions: Australia Cup – 1999, 2001, 2002^[166]

Champions: 2013 Centenary Cup^[167]

Champions: 2017 Tournament of Nations

Champions: 2019 Cup of Nations

Champions: 2023 Cup of Nations

Champions: Torneio Cidade de Uberlândia (Brazil) – 1995^[168]

See also

• Australia portal
• soccer portal
• Women's association football portal

• Australia men's national soccer team
• Sport in Australia
• Soccer in Australia
• Women's soccer in Australia
• A-League Women – Current Australian women's national league
• Women's National Soccer League (WNSL) – defunct Australian women's national league
• Australia women's national soccer team results (1975–99)
• Australia women's national soccer team results (2000–09)
• Australia women's national soccer team results (2010–19)
• Matildas: The World at Our Feet

Notes

1. An Australian representative side (largely from the St. George club and the New South Wales state team) participated and had been labelled as "Australia" by the organisers.^[165] These games have not been recognised as official Australian A-internationals, but the players achievements were recognised as such in 2023.^[5]
2. The 1980 AFC Women's Championship had a team representing Western Australia, but not the Australian national team.

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Bibliography

• Williams, Jean (2007). "Waltzing the Matildas: Women's Football in Australia". A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football. Berg Publishers. ISBN 978-1845206758.
• Crawford, Fiona; McGowan, Lee (2020). Never Say Die: The hundred-year overnight success of Australian women's football. Sydney, N.S.W.: NewSouth. ISBN 978-1-74223-666-7. OCLC 1112693898.

External links

• Official website
• FIFA profile
• Match Tracker – Andrew Howe – FFA Statistician

Sporting positions
Preceded by 2008 North Korea	AFC Women's Champions 2010 (first title)	Succeeded by 2014 Japan