Australia women's national soccer team

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

Australia

Nickname(s)	Matildas
Association	Football Australia
Confederation	OFC (Oceania): 1966–2006 AFC (Asia); 2006–present
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Tony Gustavsson
Captain	Sam Kerr
Most caps	Clare Polkinghorne (154)
Top scorer	Sam Kerr (62)
FIFA code	AUS
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	15 3 (16 August 2024)
Highest	4 (December 2017)
Lowest	16 (October 2006)
First international
Australia 2–2 New Zealand (Sutherland, Australia; 6 October 1979)
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	Quarter-finals (2007, 2011, 2015)
Olympic Games
Appearances	4 (first in 2000)
Best result	Fourth place (2020)
Asian Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 2006)
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

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), having been known as the "Female Socceroos" before 1995.

Australia is a three-time OFC champion, one-time AFC champion and one-time AFF champion, and became the first ever national team to win in two different confederations (before the men's team did the same in 2015 AFC Asian Cup). The team has represented Australia at the FIFA Women's World Cup on seven occasions and at the Olympic Games on four, although it has won neither tournament. Immediately following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Australia was ranked eleventh in the world by FIFA.

Australia will co-host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup along with New Zealand, so the Matildas automatically qualify for this event as co-hosts.

History

Foundation

The Australian Women's Soccer Association (AWSA) was founded in 1974 and a representative Australian team competed at the following year's Asian Women's Championship. This team was officially recognised in 2022, with all 16 members of the squad officially awarded caps. Pat O’Connor captained this team with her husband Joe the coach. They finished third at the tournament which is now recognised as the first Asian Cup. A national team made up primarily of players from New South Wales and Western Australia was sent to the 1978 inaugural World Women's Invitational Tournament, in Taipei, Taiwan. Australia played against club teams at the tournament and none of the players' appearances counted as official caps. Coached by Jim Selby, the selected players were: Sandra Brentnall (WA), Julie Dolan (captain, NSW), Julie Clayton (WA), Kim Coates (NSW), Julie Dolan (NSW), Cindy Heydon (NSW), Barbara Kozak (WA), Sharon Loveless (WA), Toni McMahon (NSW), Sue Monteath (QLD), Sharon Pearson (NSW), Judy Pettitt (WA), Anna Senjuschenko (WA), Teresa Varadi (WA), Leigh Wardell (NSW) and Monika Werner (VIC).

Australia's first official international match was against New Zealand at Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda, New South Wales, Australia on Saturday 6 October 1979, as it was billed as the "1st Australian Women's International Soccer Test". The Australian team listed in the match programme was Sue Monteath (Qld), Shona Bass (Vic), Kim Coates (Vic), Dianna Hall (SA), Carla Grims (SA), Fiana McKenzie (SA), Sandra Brentnall (WA), Judith Pettit (WA), Sharon Mateljan (WA), Julie Clayton (WA), Cindy Heydon (NSW), Julie Dolan (NSW), Toni McMahon (NSW), Jamie Rosman (NSW), Rosie van Bruinessen (NSW) and Leigh Wardell (NSW). Jim Selby remained as coach and the managers were Noelene Stanley and Elaine Watson. A lack of resources meant Australia's first eight official matches were all against New Zealand.

The 1980s: Development in Oceania

Australia played in the first Oceania Cup in 1983 at 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. 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.

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. Hosting the 1989 Oceania Cup in Brisbane, the Australians finished third (A team) and fourth (B team). The 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. 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.

The 1990s: Continued growth

Between 1991 and 1994, the Matildas played internationally during a tour of Russia in 1994. 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.

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.

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. During the team's second match, a 4–2 loss to China, Angela Iannotta scored Australia's first goal at a World Cup. In the final group match against cup holders the United States, Australia scored first but went on to lose 4–1.

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. Their following group matches were both 3–1 losses, finishing third in the group, but showing improvement on previous tournaments.

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. To promote themselves and raise funds for the team, in 1999 the Matildas posed nude for a calendar, which sold over 40,000 units.

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. 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. Much anticipation surrounded the team's Olympic performance on home soil, but a 3–0 loss to Germany in their opening game brought those hopes down. A draw with Sweden and a final loss to Brazil ended their tournament in the first round. While the on-field performance was disappointing, attendances at matches were high for women's soccer in Australia, raising the profile of the game.

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 defunct, being absorbed by Soccer Australia (current Football Federation Australia). In-between, many players opted to retire from the national team.

In 2003, they won the Oceania Cup and qualified for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, where they finished in the first round.

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

2005–2009: Move to Asia

In 2006, Australia moved from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation, and the country was given hosting rights to the AFC Women's Asian Cup that same year. The opening game for the Matildas was against South Korea. An early own goal by South Korea put the Matilda's up, finishing with 3 goals in the second half to give them a 4–0 win. The second match against Myanmar was also a win to the Matildas, who finished with 2 goals, with Sally Shipard and Lisa De Vanna scoring one a piece. The Matildas went on to reach the final, being defeated 4–2 on penalties by China after having a two-goal half time lead.

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, China

Australia qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and drawn into Group C. They defeated Ghana 4–1 on 12 September in Hangzhou, followed by a 1–1 draw against Norway at the same venue on 15 September. Thanks to a late goal from Cheryl Salisbury, they drew against Canada 2–2 on 20 September in Chengdu to advance to the knockout round for the first time in team history. Australia came up against Brazil in their elimination match, losing to Brazil 3–2 to end their 2007 World Cup run at the quarter-final stage.

2008 Olympics Qualifiers and AFC Women's Asian Cup, Vietnam

The Matildas before a game against Italy in 2009

The Matildas failed to get through qualifiers for the 2008 Olympics held in 2007, where they lost to Korea DPR both home and away in the final round.

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 Korea DPR. Korea DPR 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.

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. 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.

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.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Canada

During the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in Canada, they became the first Australian team, men's or women'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.

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, 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, who avenged the defeat one year prior in the penalty shootouts as goalkeeper Bárbara saved Alanna Kennedy's kick.

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. The Matildas went on to defeat Japan 4–2 and Brazil 6–1 to finish as the inaugural tournament champions. 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, and an even larger crowd of nearly 17,000 attending the next match 3 days later in Newcastle.

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

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.

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.

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. 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. Former men's national team assistant Ante Milicic was later appointed coach.

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 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. 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.

2020–present: 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).

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. They were placed in Group G with countries Sweden, the United States, and New Zealand, nicknamed the 'Group of Death.' 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. 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. 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. The semi-final match against Sweden broke women's sport TV viewing records in Australia, with 2.32 million viewers tuning in. In the bronze medal match, they lost 4–3 to the United States, resulting in the Matilda's 7th loss of the year. 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.

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. 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. 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. These two matches broke attendance records in Australia – the first match played on the 27 November in Stadium Australia, Sydney, broke the all-time standalone Matildas home attendance record set in 2000, with 36,109 spectators. The second game broke the attendance record of any Matildas game played at Newcastle, with 20,495 spectators. 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.

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. They played their opening match against Indonesia, beating them 18–0, a record win for the team against any opponent within the Asian confederation. 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. Australia finished top in their group undefeated, conceding just one solitary goal, however the team crashed out in the quarter-finals to eventual runners-up South Korea 0–1. Despite the tournament serving as the Asian qualification stage for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Australia will still participate despite not passing the quarter-finals, as the country is one of the hosts of the upcoming competition.

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

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

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.

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 female soccer players.

Nicknames

The team's official nickname is "the Matildas" (from the Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda), having been known as the "Female Socceroos" before 1995.

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. The team is currently branded as "Commonwealth Bank Matildas", based on a multi-year financial investment in the team by the Commonwealth Bank.

Media coverage

Australian matches are broadcast by Paramount+ and on free-to-air by Network 10. 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. 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.

Attendance

The current home attendance record for a Matilda's stand-alone match is 36,109, set on 27 November 2021 in Sydney during a friendly match against the United States. A following friendly on 30 November in Newcastle broke the Newcastle attendance record, with 20,495 spectators.

FIFA world rankings

As of 9 December 2022

  Best Ranking    Best Mover    Worst Ranking    Worst Mover  

Australia's FIFA world rankings
	Rank	Year	Games Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Best		Worst
							Rank	Move	Rank	Move
	12	2022	14	9	1	4	12		13	1
	11	2021	16	3	4	9	9		11	2
	7	2020	5	4	1	0	7		7
	7	2019	11	7	1	3	6	1	8	2
	6	2018	17	7	6	4	6	2	8	2
	4	2017	11	9	1	1	4	2	8	2
	6	2016	12	6	4	2	5	1	7
	9	2015	18	10	3	5	9	1	10
	10	2014	11	5	2	4	9	2	11	2
	9	2013	7	4	1	2	8	2	10	1
	9	2012	9	4	1	4	9	1	10
	10	2011	13	9	0	4	9	2	11	1
	12	2010	13	8	2	3	11	3	14	1
	14	2009	2	0	1	1	14		14
	14	2008	22	14	0	8	12	2	14
	12	2007	17	12	2	3	12	3	15	1
	15	2006	15	8	2	5	15		15
	15	2005	14	5	4	5	15	1	16	1
	15	2004	14	6	4	4	15	1	16
	16	2003	17	7	3	7	15		16	1

Results and fixtures

Historical results

Years	Article
1975 to 1999	Australia women's national soccer team results (1975–99)
2000 to 2009	Australia women's national soccer team results (2000–09)
2010 to 2019	Australia women's national soccer team results (2010–19)
2020 to 2029	Australia women's national soccer team results (2020–29)

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   Fixture

2022

Australia v New Zealand

8 April 2022 (2022-04-08) Friendly	Australia	2–1	New Zealand	Townsville, Australia
19:45 UTC+10	van Egmond 90+3' Kerr 90+5'	Report	Green 32'	Stadium: QCB Stadium Attendance: 10,779 Referee: Asaka Koizumi (Japan)

Australia v New Zealand

12 April 2022 (2022-04-12) Friendly	Australia	3–1	New Zealand	Canberra, Australia
19:45 UTC+10	Kerr 15', 32' Raso 17'	Report	Wilkinson 45+3'	Stadium: GIO Stadium Attendance: 13,077 Referee: Haruna Kanematsu (Japan)

Spain v Australia

25 June 2022 (2022-06-25) Friendly	Spain	7–0	Australia	Huelva, Spain
21:30 UTC+1	Bonmatí 44' Mariona 48' González 53' García 57', 81' Guerrero 89', 90+1'	Report		Stadium: Estadio Nuevo Colombino Attendance: 6,869 Referee: Monika Mularczyk (Poland)

Portugal v Australia

28 June 2022 (2022-06-28) Friendly	Portugal	1–1	Australia	Estoril, Portugal
21:00 UTC+1	Encarnação 87'	Report	Ibini 73'	Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota Referee: Victoria Beyer (France)

Australia v Canada

3 September 2022 (2022-09-03) Friendly	Australia	0–1	Canada	Brisbane, Australia
14:45 UTC+10		Report	Leon 11'	Stadium: Suncorp Stadium Attendance: 25,016 Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)

Australia v Canada

6 September 2022 (2022-09-06) Friendly	Australia	1–2	Canada	Sydney, Australia
19:40 UTC+10	Fowler 3'	Report	Leon 48', 64'	Stadium: Sydney Football Stadium Attendance: 26,997 Referee: Park Se-jin (South Korea)

Australia v South Africa

8 October 2022 (2022-10-08) Friendly	Australia	4–1	South Africa	London, England
12:30 UTC±0	Vine 5', 24' Polkinghorne 42' Foord 53'	Report	Magaia 87'	Stadium: Kingsmeadow Referee: Lorraine Watson (Scotland)

Denmark v Australia

11 October 2022 (2022-10-11) Friendly	Denmark	1–3	Australia	Viborg, Denmark
18:00 CEST (UTC+2)	Holmgaard 1'	Report	Foord 66', 76' Gorry 74'	Stadium: Viborg Stadion Referee: Sara Persson (Sweden)

Australia v Sweden

12 November 2022 (2022-11-12) Friendly	Australia	4–0	Sweden	Melbourne, Australia
14:45 UTC+11	Kerr 36' Foord 51', 76' Fowler 72'	Report		Stadium: AAMI Park Attendance: 22,065 Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)

Australia v Thailand

15 November 2022 (2022-11-15) Friendly	Australia	2–0	Thailand	Gosford, Australia
19:30 UTC+11	Kerr 40' Raso 47'	Report		Stadium: Industree Group Stadium Attendance: 11,271 Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)

2023

Australia v Czech Republic

16 February 2023 (2023-02-16) 2023 Cup of Nations	Australia	4–0	Czech Republic	Gosford, Australia
19:10	Raso 48', 55' Kerr 70' Polkinghorne 84'	Report		Stadium: Industree Group Stadium Attendance: 7,702 Referee: Asaka Koizumi (Japan)

Australia v Spain

19 February 2023 (2023-02-19) 2023 Cup of Nations	Australia	3–2	Spain	Sydney, Australia
18:00	Vine 11' Polkinghorne 16' Foord 42'	Report	Carmona 73' Redondo 90+4'	Stadium: CommBank Stadium Attendance: 17,333 Referee: Asaka Koizumi (Japan)

Australia v Jamaica

22 February 2023 (2023-02-22) 2023 Cup of Nations	Australia	3–0	Jamaica	Newcastle, Australia
19:10	Gorry 28' Chidiac 56' Foord 69'	Report		Stadium: McDonald Jones Stadium Attendance: 9,093

Australia v Scotland

7 April 2023 Friendly	Australia	v	Scotland	London, England
13:45		Source		Stadium: Cherry Red Records Stadium

England v Australia

11 April 2023 Friendly	England	v	Australia	London, England
19:45		Source		Stadium: Brentford Community Stadium

Australia v France

14 July 2023 Friendly	Australia	v	France	Melbourne, Australia
19:30 UTC+10		Source		Stadium: Marvel Stadium

Australia v Republic of Ireland

20 July 2023 (2023-07-20) 2023 World Cup GS	Australia	v	Republic of Ireland	Sydney, Australia
18:00 UTC+10		Report		Stadium: Stadium Australia

Australia v Nigeria

27 July 2023 (2023-07-27) 2023 World Cup GS	Australia	v	Nigeria	Brisbane, Australia
18:00 UTC+10		Report		Stadium: Lang Park

Canada v Australia

31 July 2023 (2023-07-31) 2023 World Cup GS	Canada	v	Australia	Melbourne, Australia
18:00 UTC+10		Report		Stadium: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Tony Gustavsson
Assistant coach	Melissa Andreatta
Goalkeeping coach	John Gorza

Manager history

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

As of 22 February 2023 after the match against Jamaica.

#	Name	Period	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Winning %	Ref.
1	Jim Selby	1979–1980	6	2	3	1	33.33%
2	Trixie Tagg	1981	1	1	0	0	100%
3	Jim Selby	1983–1984	8	3	3	2	37.5%
4	Fred Robins	1986–1987	9	3	1	5	33.33%
5	John Doyle	1988–1989	7	3	0	4	42.86%
6	Steve Darby	1989–1991	6	3	2	1	50.0%
7	John Reid	1994	5	0	2	3	0.0%
8	Tom Sermanni	1994–1997	31	13	2	16	41.94%
9	Greg Brown	1997–1999	37	14	8	15	37.84%
10	Chris Tanzey	1999–2000	17	3	3	11	17.65%
11	Adrian Santrac	2001–2004	43	19	9	15	44.19%
12	Tom Sermanni	2005–2012	105	60	12	33	57.14%
13	Hesterine de Reus	2013–2014	13	6	2	5	46.15%
14	Alen Stajcic	2014–2019	63	35	15	13	55.56%
15	Ante Milicic	2019–2020	16	11	2	3	68.75%
16	Tony Gustavsson	2020–present	33	15	5	13	45.45%

Players

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

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

Current squad

The following 24 players were named to the squad for the two April international friendlies against Scotland and England on 7th and 11th of April, respectively.

Caps and goals are current as of 22 February 2023 after the match against Jamaica.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Lydia Williams	(1988-05-13) 13 May 1988	102	0	Brighton & Hove Albion
	1GK	Mackenzie Arnold	(1994-02-25) 25 February 1994	32	0	West Ham United
	1GK	Teagan Micah	(1997-10-20) 20 October 1997	14	0	FC Rosengård
	1GK	Jada Mathyssen-Whyman	(1999-10-24) 24 October 1999	0	0	Sydney FC
	2DF	Clare Polkinghorne	(1989-02-01) 1 February 1989	154	16	Vittsjö GIK
	2DF	Alanna Kennedy	(1995-01-21) 21 January 1995	108	8	Manchester City
	2DF	Ellie Carpenter	(2000-04-28) 28 April 2000	59	3	Lyon
	2DF	Aivi Luik	(1985-03-18) 18 March 1985	42	1	BK Häcken
	2DF	Courtney Nevin	(2002-02-12) 12 February 2002	20	0	Leicester City
	2DF	Charlotte Grant	(2001-09-20) 20 September 2001	16	0	Vittsjö GIK
	2DF	Clare Hunt	(1999-03-12) 12 March 1999	3	0	Western Sydney Wanderers
	3MF	Emily van Egmond	(1993-07-12) 12 July 1993	127	30	San Diego Wave
	3MF	Tameka Yallop	(1991-06-16) 16 June 1991	110	12	Brann
	3MF	Katrina Gorry	(1992-08-13) 13 August 1992	91	17	Brisbane Roar
	3MF	Alex Chidiac	(1999-01-15) 15 January 1999	25	2	Racing Louisville
	3MF	Kyra Cooney-Cross	(2002-02-15) 15 February 2002	25	0	Hammarby IF
	3MF	Clare Wheeler	(1998-01-14) 14 January 1998	13	0	Everton
	4FW	Sam Kerr (captain)	(1993-09-10) 10 September 1993	119	62	Chelsea
	4FW	Caitlin Foord	(1994-11-11) 11 November 1994	108	29	Arsenal
	4FW	Hayley Raso	(1994-09-05) 5 September 1994	68	12	Manchester City
	4FW	Mary Fowler	(2003-02-14) 14 February 2003	34	9	Manchester City
	4FW	Larissa Crummer	(1996-01-10) 10 January 1996	33	4	Brisbane Roar
	4FW	Cortnee Vine	(1998-04-09) 9 April 1998	14	3	Sydney FC
	4FW	Holly McNamara	(2003-01-23) 23 January 2003	3	0	Melbourne City

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
DF	Steph Catley (vice-captain)	(1994-01-26) 26 January 1994	109	3	Arsenal	2023 Cup of Nations, February 16–22 2023
DF	Matilda McNamara	(1998-12-18) 18 December 1998	1	0	AGF	v. Thailand, 15 November 2022
DF	Emma Checker	(1996-03-11) 11 March 1996	8	0	Melbourne City	v. Denmark, 11 October 2022
DF	Jamilla Rankin	(2003-05-09) 9 May 2003	1	0	Brisbane Roar	v. Portugal, 28 June 2022
DF	Winonah Heatley	(2001-06-18) 18 June 2001	0	0	FC Nordsjælland	v. Portugal, 28 June 2022
DF	Angela Beard	(1997-08-16) 16 August 1997	3	0	Western United	v. Spain, 25 June 2022 PRE
MF	Elise Kellond-Knight	(1990-08-10) 10 August 1990	115	2	Melbourne Victory	2023 Cup of Nations, February 16–22 2023
MF	Amy Sayer	(2001-11-30) 30 November 2001	6	0	Stanford University	2023 Cup of Nations, February 16–22 2023
MF	Chloe Logarzo	(1994-12-22) 22 December 1994	55	8	Western United	v. Thailand, 15 November 2022
MF	Mackenzie Hawkesby	(2000-04-13) 13 April 2000	0	0	Sydney FC	v. Portugal, 28 June 2022
MF	Taylor Ray	(2001-04-22) 22 April 2001	1	0	Sydney FC	v. Spain, 25 June 2022
FW	Emily Gielnik	(1992-05-13) 13 May 1992	57	11	Aston Villa	2023 Cup of Nations, February 16–22 2023
FW	Remy Siemsen	(1999-11-10) 10 November 1999	6	0	Leicester City	v. Denmark, 11 October 2022
FW	Kyah Simon	(1991-06-25) 25 June 1991	111	29	Tottenham Hotspur	v. South Africa, 8 October 2022 INJ
FW	Princess Ibini-Isei	(2000-01-30) 30 January 2000	8	1	Sydney FC	v. Canada, 6 September 2022
FW	Jacynta Galabadaarachchi	(2001-06-01) 1 June 2001	0	0	Celtic	v. Portugal, 28 June 2022
FW	Rachel Lowe	(2000-11-19) 19 November 2000	1	0	Sydney FC	v. Spain, 25 June 2022

Notes:

• ^INJ Withdrew due to an injury.
• ^PRE Preliminary squad / on stand-by.

Player records

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

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

As of 22 February 2023

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

Most caps

#	Player	Span	Caps	Goals
1	Clare Polkinghorne	2006–present	154	16
2	Cheryl Salisbury	1994–2009	151	38
3	Lisa De Vanna	2004–2019	150	47
4	Heather Garriock	1999–2011	130	20
5	Emily van Egmond	2010–present	127	30
6	Sam Kerr	2009–present	119	62
7	Elise Kellond-Knight	2007–present	115	2
8	Kyah Simon	2007–present	111	29
9	Joanne Peters	1996–2009	110	28
10	Tameka Yallop	2007–present	110	12

Most goals

#	Player	Span	Goals	Caps	Ratio
1	Sam Kerr	2009–present	62	119	0.52
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	0.25
5	Sarah Walsh	2004–2012	32	70	0.46
6	Emily Van Egmond	2010–present	30	127	0.24
7	Caitlin Foord	2011–present	29	108	0.27
	Kyah Simon	2007–present		111	0.26
9	Joanne Peters	1996–2009	28	110	0.25
10	Sunni Hughes	1989–2000	24	63	0.38

Most clean sheets

#	Player	Span	Clean sheets	Caps	Ratio
1	Melissa Barbieri	2002–2015	34	86	0.40
2	Lydia Williams	2005–present	33	102	0.33
3	Mackenzie Arnold	2012–present	13	32	0.41
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	Brianna Davey	2012–2015	5	18	0.28
9	Teagan Micah	2021–present		14	0.36

Captains

Player	Span	Ref.
Julie Dolan	1979–1984
Sue Monteath	1984–1987
Julie Murray	1995–1999
Alison Forman	2000
Cheryl Salisbury	2003–2009
Melissa Barbieri	2010–2013
Clare Polkinghorne & Kate Gill	2013–2014
Clare Polkinghorne & Lisa De Vanna	2015–2019
Sam Kerr	2019–present

Honours

Major tournaments

• OFC Women's Championship

Champions: 1994, 1998, 2003

Runners-up: 1983, 1986, 1991

• AFF Women's Championship

Champions: 2008

• AFC Women's Asian Cup

Champions: 2010

Runners-up: 2006, 2014, 2018

Minor tournaments

Champions: Australia Cup – 1999, 2001, 2002

Champions: 2013 Centenary Cup

Champions: 2017 Tournament of Nations

Champions: 2019 Cup of Nations

Champions: 2023 Cup of Nations

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. To date, they have played 53 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	Qualified as co-hosts
2027	To be determined
Total	8/9	0 titles	26	7	6	13	38	50

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	To be determined
2028
2032	Qualified as host
Total	4/7	0 titles	17	4	5	8	24	28

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		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		1st	4	4	0	0	49	1
2003		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
Invitee representative sides
1975	Third place	3rd	4	2	0	2	12	6
1980	Third place	3rd	6	2	0	4	4	10
Total	2/2	0 titles	10	4	0	6	16	16
National team
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		2nd	5	1	3	1	11	4
2022	Quarter-finals	5th	4	3	0	1	24	2
2026	To be determined
Total	6/6	1 title	34	19	6	9	85	31

• An Australian representative side participated in the 1975 AFC Women's Championship however these games are not recognised as official Australian international fixtures. The participants were the NSW State Team that the organisers had labelled as Australia.
• The 1980 AFC Women's Championship had a team representing Western Australia, but not the Australian National Team.

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

Minor Tournaments

Algarve Cup

The Algarve Cup is an invitational tournament for national teams in women's association football hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious and longest-running women's international football events and has been nicknamed the "Mini FIFA Women's World Cup".

Algarve Cup record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1999	Fifth place	4	0	3	1	2	4
2017	Fourth place	4	2	1	1	6	5
2018	Fourth place	4	2	1	1	7	5
Total	3/27	12	4	5	3	15	14

Cyprus Cup

The Cyprus Women's Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football. It has been held annually in Cyprus since 2008.

Cyprus Women's Cup record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2014	Seventh place	4	1	1	2	11	11
2015	Fifth place	4	3	0	1	10	5
Total	2/13	8	4	1	3	21	16

Peace Queen Cup

The Peace Queen Cup was an invitational women's association football tournament for national teams organised by the Sunmoon Peace Football Foundation.

Peace Queen Cup record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2006	Group stage	3	1	0	2	2	4
2008	Group stage	3	2	0	1	5	2
2010	Runners-up	3	2	0	1	5	3
Total	3/3	0	5	0	4	12	9

Tournament of Nations

The Tournament of Nations was a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football hosted in the United States in non-World Cup and non-Olympic years.

Tournament of Nations record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2017	Champions	3	3	0	0	11	3
2018	Runners-up	3	2	1	0	6	2
Total	2/2	6	5	1	0	17	5

Cup of Nations

The Cup of Nations is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football hosted in Australia.

Tournament of Nations record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2019	Champions	3	3	0	0	9	1
2023	Champions	3	3	0	0	11	3
Total	2/2	3	3	3	0	10	2

See also

• 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

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