CUPRA becomes official automotive partner of the Socceroos and Matildas

CUPRA, Australia’s newest car and lifestyle brand, is teaming up with Football Australia to support the professional development of men’s and women’s football in Australia.

Announced on Wednesday following the Commonwealth Bank Matildas’ friendly against New Zealand on Tuesday night, CUPRA becomes the official automotive partner of the men’s Socceroos and women’s Commonwealth Bank Matildas national teams in one of the most exciting periods in the sport’s Australian history.

As part of the agreement, CUPRA will feature on the Socceroos’ training apparel and the parties will collaborate on content campaigns and fan experiences. No stranger to igniting the passion of football fans everywhere, CUPRA is also the global official partner and official automotive partner of FC Barcelona in Spain.

The CUPRA brand, proudly hailing from Barcelona, is known for its emotional design and spirited performance, and is no better encapsulated than by the brand’s evocative cross-over SUV, the CUPRA Formentor.

To celebrate the announcement, CUPRA and Football Australia collaborated to create an action-packed digital spot featuring some of Australia’s hottest up-and-coming football talent and National Team players. The film, which depicts a neon-lit rooftop game of street football being joined by Australia’s best players, also unveils the CUPRA Formentor – its first appearance in Australia prior to launch.

“Football is the world game and a sport that invokes enormous passion in fans everywhere,” CUPRA Australia Director Ben Wilks said.

“To be partnering with our national women’s and men’s team throughout not one, but three global tournaments is a source of immense pride for the entire CUPRA Tribe, and we can’t wait to get behind the teams in their quest for glory, and share our passion with the teams’ fan base of over seven million people.”

Football Australia CEO James Johnson was pleased to be partnering with CUPRA, a brand that already has strong ties to football.

“Football Australia is proud to have partnered with CUPRA, a new and exciting performance car brand that will bring great energy to the Australian market,” Johnson said.

“Over the past 18 months we have worked hard to align football with commercial partners that believe in our sport, and recognise our game’s unique ability to unite and excite Australians.

“CUPRA has impressed us with its bold vision for the future, and we’re delighted that CUPRA has chosen football, and specifically our engaging and iconic national teams, as their first partner in the Australian market.”

This partnership with Football Australia marks the very first collaboration for CUPRA in Australia, which will officially commence trading mid-this year with the opening of the brand’s inner city CUPRA Garage spaces in Australian capital cities.

Staffed by passionate CUPRA Masters, the Garage spaces will serve as a central beacon for the brand, while also becoming a local hub for the growing CUPRA Tribe – an international collective of fans and like-minded people, bound by a shared love of driving.

Unlike other car brands, CUPRA will offer its customers a unique and bespoke brand experience and, in conjunction with its CUPRA Garages, will lean into digital commerce, embracing a hybrid agency sales model.

Always progressive, CUPRA also offers fans and customers the chance to come together and experience the brand online, recently unveiling its own digital world within the Metaverse.

As part of its collaboration with Football Australia, the brand will also be delivering a range of exciting experiences and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the fans and players at all levels of the game.

Launching in Australia with a range of performance vehicles powered by petrol and plug-in-hybrid engine technology, CUPRA has also recently confirmed its highly emotional vehicle line-up, which will launch with the CUPRA Leon hatch, the CUPRA Ateca SUV and the CUPRA Formentor cross-over.

More details on the Australian launch of the CUPRA brand and its distinct line-up will be available in the lead-up to the brand’s mid-2022 launch.

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Football NSW calls on clubs to Make It Red for Heart Health Round

Football NSW is calling on clubs and associations across the state to register for the 2026 Make It Red campaign, joining a national awareness movement aimed at reducing heart-related deaths on sporting grounds ahead of Heart Health Round on the weekend of June 5 to 7.

The campaign, developed by the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, asks sporting clubs to wear red, raise funds and build awareness around heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia for both men and women, and one that health authorities say is largely preventable through modifiable risk factors.

The call to action comes as the Foundation continues its work to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across NSW sporting facilities, a project that has already engaged twelve football associations and fed data into both the NSW Ambulance GoodSAM registry and NSW Health’s public AED map. The availability of a functioning, registered AED on site is among the most significant determinants of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, with survival rates declining sharply for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is encouraging clubs to engage with the campaign across three areas. Clubs can register for the Make It Red campaign to help fund research, education and prevention programs. Participants, particularly those aged over 35, are encouraged to seek a free heart health screening test from their local GP or enquire about hosting a Heartbeat of Football testing day. Clubs are also urged to ensure their grounds have active, accessible AEDs in place, with guidance available through Football NSW’s Rescue Ready Guide.

The Make It Red campaign runs from June 5 to July 12, with Heart Health Round taking place across the opening weekend. Clubs can register and access participation resources at makeitred.org.

Community Spirit Shines on AFC Grassroots Football Day 2026

This week, Football Australia (FA) celebrated AFC Grassroots Football Day 2026, championing the people and communities who continue to hold up a safe, inclusive and supportive environment in the football landscape.

‘For all, for life’

In collaboration with Football NSW, Canterbury Football Association and community club, Balmain & District Football Club, the day reflected the very best of what football provides.

The event brought in participants of all ages – from 4-74 years-old – and reached a total of 400 people. Girls-only programs, all-abilities sessions and over-age football ensured all were catered for.

Such a diverse range of participants builds on a wider drive during FIFA World Football Week, which seeks to promote the sport not just as the dazzling lights of 100,000-seater stadiums, but as a way to foster community spirit and social development.

Furthermore, FA support through its Club Changer program was a welcome addition to the action, emphasising the organisation’s commitment to nurture a real love for the game across communities in Australia.

“Through Club Changer we support our clubs to provide a safe, fun and enjoyable environment where everyone is welcome; whether that be as a player, volunteer, referee or supporter,” explained National Program Manager Club Development at FA, Grace Lambourne.

“Everyone should feel they belong and are welcome to play, stay, and love the game.”

 

A welcome celebration

While the upcoming FIFA World Cup will no doubt inspire millions of future Socceroos and Matildas, events like the AFC Grassroots Football Day represent something beyond just inspiration.

It is a platform. An opportunity to express a love for football and to connect with others while doing so.

And connections between the professional and grassroots game is more important than ever if Australia is to nurture the next generation of talent.

This is particularly clear in the rise of women’s football across the nation. Since the FIFA Women’s World Cup, female participation rose by 32%, and registrations for the MiniTillies Program skyrocketed from 264 in 2023, to 1223 in 2024.

The professionals spark passion. But communities turn that passion into playing time.

That is why celebrating grassroots football – and the volunteers and families who sustain it – is a vital part of Australia’s football future. Together, FA and the AFC are creating strong foundations built on positivity, engagement, and inclusivity for all with a love for the beautiful game.

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