Winner of FFA Cup to qualify for AFC Champions League

Liam Watson

Football Federation Australia (FFA) today announced that any team who wins the FFA Cup from 2021 will be granted entry to one of the AFC Champions League preliminary round slots among key changes to Australia’s largest annual club-based sporting competition.

After Covid-19 halted proceedings this year, the FFA Cup will return in 2021 with adjustments made to improve and enhance the excitement associated with the competition, particularly as clubs from all levels have the chance to make their mark against Asia’s best.

Here are all the details for the 2021 FFA Cup:

  • Preliminary Rounds to be held between February and July next year, with the Final Rounds planned to be played between July and November – match details to be confirmed.
  • FFA Cup Semi-Finals & Final earmarked to be on stand-alone weekends for the first time. Final to be played at neutral venue.
  • FFA Cup Final Rounds will feature an open draw for the first time – generating more competitive tension and uncertainty.
  • FFA Cup 2021 winner to be awarded a preliminary round slot representing Australia in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League*.
  • FFA Cup Final Rounds Slot Allocation for A-League clubs and Member Federations to remain unchanged.
  • FFA Cup Final Rounds Play-Off matches between the bottom four (4) placed A-League clubs from the A-League 2020/21 season will be played to determine the final two (2) A-League teams to enter the Round of 32.
  • Wollongong Wolves (NPL 2019 Champions) will be granted entry into the FFA Cup 2021 Final Rounds. Wollongong missed out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Principle IV of our XI Principles speaks to the ongoing optimisation of Australia’s competition structures and ensuring that Australia’s football pyramid is aligned and connected,” FFA Chief Executive Officer James Johnson said.

“The FFA Cup is unique amongst all other sporting competitions in Australia in that a team of builders, electricians and office-workers might get the chance to compete against five-time A-League Champions Sydney FC.

“These changes to the FFA Cup from 2021 onwards demonstrate FFA’s commitment to not only enhancing the FFA Cup for the enjoyment of our football community, but to provide players and clubs at all levels of the game with the opportunity to aspire to represent Australia on the global stage.

“Playing the FFA Cup Final on a stand-alone weekend will enable the FFA Cup Final to develop its own identity within the national football calendar, and we envisage that an array of events – such as a national football conference or a national football weekend festival – can in the future be held in parallel with the FFA Cup Final.

“Furthermore, we believe that by connecting the FFA Cup Final with a variety of supporting football-focused events, we can engage a wide cross-section of the football community and make the event an increasingly attractive proposition to host cities and Governments.”

765 clubs had registered for the 2020 version of the FFA Cup and Johnson is confident these clubs will return.

“Next year’s FFA Cup Preliminary Rounds will be held much like in years gone by, however we are moving to adjust the structure of the Round of 32 – where professional A-League clubs enter the competition – into four geographic Zones,” he said.

“These Zones will promote local rivalries and competitive tension, and for the first time will feature an open draw to determine matches.

“The open draw will continue to feature right through to the semi-final stage, ensuring that there’s absolute uncertainty when the draw for each round of the competition is staged.” 

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Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

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Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

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Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

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