Football Australia are hoping the exploits of the Matildas at the Women’s World Cup can put the nation in the box seat to beat emerging superpower Saudi Arabia for hosting rights to the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.
After the Matildas were dumped out at the semi-final stage of their home tournament by England on Wednesday, FA’s attention will now turn to bringing further competitions to Australian shores.
James Johnson’s organisation have been ambitious in their desire to bid for hosting rights to the men’s World Cup in 2034 and the revamped Club World Cup in 2029.
But the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 looms as a much more attainable proposition for FA following record crowds and viewing figures at this year’s World Cup.
“(A successful bid) would extend this window for a major growth in the Australian game which is really being turbocharged by the women’s game,” Johnson told AAP.
“There’s a lot of logic for that bid, it’s calculated because women’s football is growing rapidly around the world and in particular in Australia.
“We’ve seen the success of the Matildas at this World Cup and we know when we hosted the Asian Cup in 2015 that was a big success.
“We’re taking it seriously and we’re working with state and federal governments to make sure we have the right backing to get that over the line.”
Mary Fowler. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Johnson won’t just have to convince politicians to make the dream a reality, he will also face tough opposition within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Uzbekistan have officially expressed an interest as have the Saudis, who are positioning themselves as a key player in world football.
The oil-rich state bought Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021 and has managed to lure the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Neymar to its top flight.
Saudi Arabia’s women’s national team, however, only played their first FIFA-sanctioned fixture in February last year.
“They’ve had remarkable growth and the administration there is doing great things,” Johnson said.
“Our competitive advantage is twofold, we can put our money where our mouth is by hosting the best-ever Women’s World Cup – we’re a safe pair of hands and a sure bet.
“There is obviously a link between the success of a competition and the performance of the hosts and the Matildas are a top global team, who will do very well in the Asian Cup.”
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