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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South Canberra FC Breaks the Mold: Equity-Driven Model Earns ‘Club Changer’ Honour

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South Canberra Football Club has been named Club Changer of the Month for April, in a recognition that reflects a broader shift across Australian football toward rewarding clubs that are actively dismantling the structural barriers limiting women’s access to the game.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has just delivered record crowds and unprecedented visibility for women’s football in Australia, and the Club Changer program is now asking what comes next. Its decision to name South Canberra Football Club as Club Changer of the Month for April signals a clear shift in how the program defines contribution: away from participation numbers alone, and toward the equity frameworks that determine whether women stay in the game once they arrive.

South Canberra FC built that framework from the ground up. Established in 2021, the club set out to give women and female-identifying players a safe, inclusive environment to play football at any level. It runs entirely on volunteers, operates as a not-for-profit, and is governed by an all-female committee with 13 of its 14 coaches identifying as female.

 

Building the infrastructure of inclusion

In 2026, the club secured grant funding and put it to work immediately. Two coaches are completing their C Licence qualification, and ten coaches, players and community members have undertaken the Foundations of Football course, which directly tackles the cost and accessibility barriers that exclude women out of coaching pathways.

The club also commissioned a female-specific strength and conditioning program with sports physiotherapists ahead of the 2026 season, targeting injury prevention and explicitly supporting players returning after childbirth.

SCFC’s leadership team draws from LGBTIQ+ individuals, First Nations people and veterans, strengthening the club’s connection to the communities it was built to represent.

The Club Changer program is backing clubs that do this work- clubs that treat equity as infrastructure rather than aspiration. At a moment when Australian football is under pressure to turn its biggest-ever surge of women’s interest into something lasting, SCFC’s model offers a clear answer to the question of how.

Football NSW announces 2026 First Nations Scholarships as pathway access program enters new phase

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced the recipients of its 2026 First Nations Scholarships, with ten emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players from metropolitan and regional NSW receiving support designed to reduce the financial and structural barriers that have historically limited First Nations participation across the football pathway.

The scholarship program, developed and assessed in collaboration with the Football NSW Indigenous Advisory Group, targets players across both elite and development environments – recognising that talent identification alone is insufficient without the resources to support progression once players are identified.

Co-Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group Bianca Dufty said the calibre of this year’s recipients reflected the depth of First Nations football talent across the state, and the importance of structured support in converting that talent into long-term participation.

“Their dedication to football and the desire to be role models for younger Aboriginal footballers in their communities is to be celebrated,” Dufty said. “I’m confident we will see some of these talented footballers in the A-League and national teams in the future.”

 

Beyond the pitch and into the pipeline

The 2026 cohort spans both metropolitan clubs and regional associations, an intentional distribution that acknowledges the particular barriers facing First Nations players outside major population centres, where access to development programs, qualified coaching and pathway competitions is more limited and the cost of participation more prohibitive.

The next phase of the program will introduce First Nations coaching scholarships, extending the initiative’s reach beyond playing pathways and into the coaching and administration pipeline – areas where Indigenous representation remains among the lowest in the game.

The structural logic is clear. Scholarships that reduce financial barriers at the entry point of elite pathways matter most when they are part of a sustained ecosystem of support rather than isolated gestures. Football NSW’s collaboration with the Indigenous Advisory Group provides that continuity, ensuring the program is shaped by the communities it is designed to serve.

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