Football Australia reveals AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 host cities

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OOTBALL AUSTRALIA AND PARAMOUNT AUSTRALIA AGREE TO HISTORIC MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL FOR AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TEAMS THROUGH TO 2028
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Football Australia has confirmed that New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have been chosen as the host states put forward for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026.

The selection of candidate host states underscores Australia’s position as the exclusive bidder for the event, supported by a recommendation from the AFC Women’s Football Committee in March and also the withdrawal of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan’s applications.

The final decision on hosting rights is anticipated to be approved by the AFC Executive Committee in May.

Building on the incredible triumph of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, this bid seeks to maintain and amplify the economic and social benefits of significant women’s football tournaments. The event is forecasted to yield up to $260 million in economic output and foster the creation of over 1,000 job opportunities.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson highlighted the significance of staging the tournament said via press release:

“Hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 offers a golden opportunity to continue the dynamic growth and popularity of women’s football in Australia,” he said.

“Last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup laid a robust foundation, and we are eager to build upon this legacy to further enhance our football landscape both nationally and regionally.”

Johnson underlines the power of government backing.

“The backing from all levels of government is crucial as we tackle the surge in participation and the urgent need for improved facilities, this support is essential to maintain the momentum and ensure the continuous development of the sport across this country,” he added via media release.

“The Federal Government’s ‘Play Our Way’ Grants program is a welcomed initiative to address the community facilities gap.”

The achievements of Australian national teams, such as the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas, have spurred a nationwide surge in football involvement. There was a notable 12% rise in 2023, and an impressive 20% increase has already been observed in 2024.

Football Australia is capitalizing on the AFC Women’s Asian Cup as an opportunity to elevate participation rates and advance the sport, aligning its efforts with upcoming international events like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics & Paralympics.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Football NSW supports Female Coaches CPD as Women’s Football Surges

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Football NSW has used the platform of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to deliver a targeted professional development workshop for female coaches, bringing together scholarship recipients for an evening of structured learning and direct engagement with elite women’s football.

Held at ACPE last month, the session was open to female coaches who received C or B Diploma scholarships through Football NSW in 2025. Coaching accreditation carries a financial cost that disproportionately affects women, who are less likely to have their development subsidised by clubs or associations operating in underfunded community football environments. Scholarship access changes that equation at the point where many women exit the pathway.

Facilitated by Football NSW Coach Development Coordinator Bronwyn Kiceec, the workshop focused on goal scoring trends from the tournament’s group stage, with coaches analysing attacking patterns and exploring how those insights could translate into their own environments. The group then attended the quarter-final between South Korea and Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia.

The structure of the evening mattered as much as its content. Female coaches in community football rarely have access to elite competition environments as a professional resource. The gap between the level at which most women coach and the level at which the game is analysed and discussed tends to reinforce itself. Placing scholarship recipients inside a major tournament, as participants rather than spectators, closes that gap in a way that a classroom session cannot.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented across all levels of the game in Australia. The pipeline that will change that depends not only on accreditation access but on the professional networks, peer relationships and exposure to elite environments that male coaches have historically taken for granted.

The workshop forms part of Football NSW’s ongoing commitment to developing female coaches through scholarships and structured learning opportunities.

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