Melbourne misses out on hosting Matildas as Women’s Asian Cup host states
revealed
Melburnians will miss out on seeing the Matildas play in the next Women’s
Asian Cup after Football Australia revealed Victoria was not on the list of
host states for the 2026 tournament.
NSW, Queensland and WA to host tournament
Instead, matches will be played in New South Wales, Queensland and Western
Australia.
The decision is a blow to Victoria, which has long been considered the
home of women’s football in Australia. The Matildas have played many of their
home matches in Melbourne, and the city was widely expected to be one of the
hosts of the 2026 tournament.
Victoria did not express interest
However, Football Australia revealed that Victoria did not express interest
in hosting the Women’s Asian Cup.
“We are disappointed that Victoria will not be hosting any matches in the
2026 Women’s Asian Cup,” Football Australia CEO James Johnson said. “However,
we understand that the Victorian government has made other commitments, and we
respect their decision.”
Sydney in line to host final
With Victoria out of the running, Sydney is now in the box seat to host the
final of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.
The NSW government has already committed to building a new 45,000-seat stadium
in Sydney’s Olympic Park, which is expected to be completed in time for the
tournament.
Other host cities to be announced
The other host cities for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup are yet to be
announced. However, it is expected that matches will be played in Brisbane,
Perth and regional centers in all three states.