Football Australia confirmed stadiums for Women’s Asian Cup 2026

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Football Australia has confirmed the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 will run from March 1 to March 21, 2026, and will feature stadiums across NSW, WA and Queensland.

The tournament will feature Asia’s best 12 teams at the following five stadiums:

New South Wales

  • Stadium Australia
  • Western Sydney Stadium

Queensland

  • Gold Coast Stadium

Western Australia

  • Perth Rectangular Stadium
  • Perth Stadium

The confirmation follows recommendations from the 3rd AFC Women’s Football Committee meeting, hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 12.

The decisions still require formal ratification by the AFC Executive Committee, with a confirmation meeting to be held on December 3, this year.

CEO of Football Australia, James Johnson, proclaimed his excitement for the upcoming tournament.

“We are immensely proud to bring the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ to Australia in 2026. Hosting this premier event reinforces Australia’s commitment to growing women’s football and celebrating the incredible talent within the Asian football community,” he said via press release.

“With world-class stadiums in iconic cities and the unwavering support of our state governments, we are set to deliver a tournament that will inspire players and fans alike.

“We extend our gratitude to the governments of New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, for their commitment to bringing this event to life, and we look forward to welcoming Asia’s top teams for a truly memorable experience on and off the field.”

Federal Minister for Sport, the Hon Anika Wells MP, expressed her government’s pride to host the Asian Cup.

“The Albanese Government is proud to bring the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ to Australia, and with it, another $15 million investment in women’s sport,” she said via press release.

“We saw what the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ did for our communities – it brought people together, inspired more Australians to be active, and put women’s sport centre stage.

“The Tillies showed us what we can achieve when we rally behind them, and we’re committed to keeping that momentum going.”

The 2026 Women’s Asian Cup will mark the second time Women’s Asian Cup games are hosted in FIFA World Cup venues, with many of the stadiums announced previously hosting games at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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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.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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