AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026

[ossi]

Stadiums and dates for Women’s Asian Cup announced.

To be played March 1-21, 2026 in NSW, WA and QLD

Stadium Australia (Accor Stadium)
Western Sydney Stadium (CommBank Stadium)
Gold Coast Stadium (Cbus Super Stadium)
Perth Rectangular Stadium (HBF Park)
Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium).

Football Australia announces dates, cities and stadiums for AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™

The dates for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ were officially recommended to take place

www.footballaustralia.com.au

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Stadiums and dates for Women’s Asian Cup announced.

To be played March 1-21, 2026 in NSW, WA and QLD

Stadium Australia (Accor Stadium)
Western Sydney Stadium (CommBank Stadium)
Gold Coast Stadium (Cbus Super Stadium)
Perth Rectangular Stadium (HBF Park)
Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium).

Football Australia announces dates, cities and stadiums for AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™

The dates for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ were officially recommended to take place

www.footballaustralia.com.au

AFL and NRL are gonna get their noses out of joint for this aren't they?

 

[Robbos]

AFL and NRL are gonna get their noses out of joint for this aren't they?

Na the NRL has always played ball with football when it comes to international sports.
While their game is small international wise, they understand international sport more than the 3 states code.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Na the NRL has always played ball with football when it comes to international sports.
While their game is small international wise, they understand international sport more than the 3 states code.

I guess we'll have to wait and see NRL may very well "play ball" but the AFL and Aleague isnt stopping for anyone

Asian Cup venue draw forces NRL, AFL clubs to hit road

Football Australia has released the host stadiums for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, which could have a knock-on...

www.huntervalleynews.net.au

 

[GoAussies]

I guess we'll have to wait and see NRL may very well "play ball" but the AFL and Aleague isnt stopping for anyone

Asian Cup venue draw forces NRL, AFL clubs to hit road

Football Australia has released the host stadiums for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, which could have a knock-on...

www.huntervalleynews.net.au

AFL season 2026 is likely to start on the weekend of March 14 and 15 for the WA teams, if they both get drawn away from Perth in Round 1 (which happened in 2023 after an Ed Sheeran concert) then in theory Optus would have held a Matildas group game and any QF/SF/Finals games before Sunday 22nd March would then have one of the Dockers or Eagles having their home opener in Round 2.

Sydney and the Gold Coast will be fine.

 

[GoAussies]

Stadiums and dates for Women’s Asian Cup announced.

To be played March 1-21, 2026 in NSW, WA and QLD

Stadium Australia (Accor Stadium)
Western Sydney Stadium (CommBank Stadium)
Gold Coast Stadium (Cbus Super Stadium)
Perth Rectangular Stadium (HBF Park)
Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium).

Football Australia announces dates, cities and stadiums for AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™

The dates for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ were officially recommended to take place

www.footballaustralia.com.au

Interesting that the 21 days for the 2026 tournament is a few days longer than in India last time around where the games were all 3 days apart which would be hard to manage with the East Coast to WA travel factor making it particularly tough.

Hopefully a match schedule will be out by mid 2025 to make tournament planning a bit easier for those of us living outside of Sydney and Perth.

 

[NicCarBel]

Interesting that the 21 days for the 2026 tournament is a few days longer than in India last time around where the games were all 3 days apart which would be hard to manage with the East Coast to WA travel factor making it particularly tough.

Hopefully a match schedule will be out by mid 2025 to make tournament planning a bit easier for those of us living outside of Sydney and Perth.

Will assume one group based in Perth, with the other two on the east coast

 

[GoAussies]

Will assume one group based in Perth, with the other two on the east coast

Which suggests the Matildas play 3 group games in one or 2 cities? Not the way most home tournaments have been set up (2015 Mens Asian Cup and 2023 WWC).

 

[NicCarBel]

Which suggests the Matildas play 3 group games in one or 2 cities? Not the way most home tournaments have been set up (2015 Mens Asian Cup and 2023 WWC).

Little different given the amount of host venues though. Making the team travel to Perth for one game is a disadvantage for us - in both those tournaments, group games were all along the east coast. I would expect Perth to be given a quarter final and semi on the path of if Australia don’t top the group (a la Newcastle at 2015 Asian Cup)

 

[Volrath2002]

Well until Canberra gets a new stadium it does not surprise me to see us overlooked as a host city. However, no Melbourne or Adelaide is interesting. Also, what is with Stadium Australia being used? I would have put the final in Perth at Optus and had the two best stadiums in Sydney for football used (Moore Park and Parramatta). I really do think it is a crying shame not to have Moore Park and AAMI Park in this showpiece event.

 

[NicCarBel]

Well until Canberra gets a new stadium it does not surprise me to see us overlooked as a host city. However, no Melbourne or Adelaide is interesting. Also, what is with Stadium Australia being used? I would have put the final in Perth at Optus and had the two best stadiums in Sydney for football used (Moore Park and Parramatta). I really do think it is a crying shame not to have Moore Park and AAMI Park in this showpiece event.

We can have games here. Barr the useless prick just doesn't want it.

Remember, we didn't host games for the Women's World Cup, because to him, and I quote "rather than spending millions and millions on one or two games of football that would not involve the Australian team, that we would instead invest $20 million into the home of football in Throsby." (a Home of Football that was earmarked to be ready for the WWC, but has not even begun by the way).

What was the asking price for Canberra by the way? Apparently it was "Over $1 million per game", which is.. well ridiculous considering he pays AFL just shy of $1 million per game. Such a lost opportunity, as the Women's World Cup perfectly showcased his government's ideals. Well... except for the fact it was football, and you couldn't catch a tram to the game if we had games anyways.

 

[GoAussies]

AFL season 2026 is likely to start on the weekend of March 14 and 15 for the WA teams, if they both get drawn away from Perth in Round 1 (which happened in 2023 after an Ed Sheeran concert) then in theory Optus would have held a Matildas group game and any QF/SF/Finals games before Sunday 22nd March would then have one of the Dockers or Eagles having their home opener in Round 2.

Sydney and the Gold Coast will be fine.

https://assets.the-afc.com/2026_AFC_Womens_Asian_Cup/AFC-Women's-Asian-Cup%E2%84%A2-Australia-2026-Match%C2%A0Schedule.pdf

Matildas Perth Opener at Optus on Sunday 1st, Perth QF at PRS 13-14 March and the winners stay in WA for the Semi Final on 17 March at Optus. The Matildas will be on that side of the knockout draw if they finish 2nd in Group A.

Matildas games ar Perth, GC, Sydney and if they finish first or one of the 2 best 3rd placed would be in the Sysndey side of the finals draw. final

The AFC have delivered the weirdest 12 team tournament draw I have ever seen with the 2 best 3rd placed teams drawn into the same side of the draw and all 3 runners up on the other side

 

[GoAussies]

Will assume one group based in Perth, with the other two on the east coast

That seems to be the idea -
- All 3 non Australia games in Group A on the Gold Coast as well as the Matilda's vs A3
- 5/6 Group B games at Paramatta with B3/B4 in Perth
- 5/6 Group C games in Perth with C3/C4 in Sydney

With the QF in Perth and Sydney the losing teams all fly to the Gold Coast for WC2027 play in knockout matches after the semi finals so QLD gets 6 of the 27 total games, WA 10 and NSW 11 including double headers.

 

[ossi]

I assume that ALW will pause for the tournament. Anybody know if ALM will be paused?