Football NSW confirms the return of futsal in 2021

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Futsal competitions are set to return across NSW this year with Football NSW announcing two competitions in conjunction with various Futsal Premier League clubs, alongside two Football NSW affiliates PCYC Marrickville and The Centre Dural.

This news comes off the back off the unfortunate development that the usual Futsal Premier Leagues competitions for 2021 have officially been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Football NSW has been working closely with Local Futsal Affiliates, who have thrown its support behind running and delivering competitions which will once again see players return to venues and participating in the sport of futsal.

PCYC Marrickville is excited to serve the futsal community by hosting junior competitions only consisting of several clubs, including Football NSW Futsal Premier League teams kicking off this weekend on Sunday October 31 and will run up to December 19.

The competition has been set for eight rounds providing a good array of young talent from the Under 8’s right through to the Under 13’s age grades for both boys and girls.

In addition, The Centre Dural has announced its competition will mirror Football NSW’s Futsal Premier League structure by providing age grades from the Under 10’s Boys and Girls right through to the senior men & women.

This competition will be played on Saturdays starting on October 30 and will run until December 18, consisting of four Futsal Premier League clubs.

In a statement, Football NSW Futsal Manager Jordan Guerreiro was delighted to see the sport given the green light to have competitions run once more, considering the heartache during the last two years due to the pandemic.

“I am extremely excited and proud that we have been able to engage with key members of our Futsal community to get Futsal up and running again in 2021,” he said.

“It’s been a difficult period as most can imagine with all the unknown information and protocols with the return to community sport along with the Public Health Order from the NSW Government during our lockdowns.

“A considerable amount of effort has gone into providing opportunities where we can ensure that our Futsal community can come back and play our wonderful game in the best and most efficient way possible. We are prioritising the safety of the participants in coordination with our Futsal affiliates and Futsal clubs through Covid Compliance to the NSW PHO.

“We viewed this opportunity with two of our Affiliates reaching out to provide this opportunity to showcase what Futsal means to the community and the clubs involved. It was necessary to provide these competitions at this time of the year as it plays an integral role to the development of our sport and players.

“We view this opportunity as a Futsal fiesta type of environment where all our players can have fun playing the sport with their teammates as well as enjoying the atmosphere in celebrating Futsal as a game and developing their ability and potential.

“I would like to acknowledge and thank all key members who were involved in this process in having these competitions commence in what have been unprecedented times for all in our sport.

“Good luck to all clubs and affiliates involved in getting their respective competitions up and running in what will be a solid 2021 season for all involved.”

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SBS confirms exclusive Australian rights to 2030 FIFA World Cup

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Editorial credit: kovop

SBS has officially secured the exclusive Australian broadcast rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, meaning Australians will again be able to watch all 104 matches of the tournament live and free. The network will carry the tournament across television, video and radio and, as with 2026, all games will be streamed via SBS On Demand. 

The agreement was confirmed on 1 September, and will see the long-running partnership between the broadcaster and FIFA extend to 44 years. SBS first broadcast the World Cup 1986, when Argentina won the tournament in Mexico.

SBS Managing Director Jane Palfreyman said the World Cup remained central to the broadcaster’s role in Australian football, bringing Australians together across cultures, languages and communities.

The new deal follows a strong 2026 edition. More than 18 million Australians watched the coverage, while SBS also recorded more than 209 million hours of consumption across its World Cup content. Approximately 55 per cent of this consumption came via digital platforms. SBS offered full matches alongside shorter ‘mini match’ recaps through SBS On Demand.

First reporting that SBS and FIFA had extended their partnership emerged in July, although had remained unconfirmed until this point.

The latest announcement confirms that reporting. The earlier report also highlighted the importance of the deal for Australian football fans. SBS would retain a free-to-air pathway to every World Cup match. The deal also gives certainty around one of the biggest sporting properties in the world. This is particularly relevant as FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino come under increased pressure.

The 2022 edition saw FIFA increase its valuation over broadcast rights, with key markets such as China having a price tag of $349 million ($250 million USD) from the governing body. For Australian football, the significance goes beyond the tournament itself.

The World Cup remains one of the sport’s biggest drivers of mainstream attention. Keeping every match live and free gives Australian fans continued access to the competition without a subscription barrier.

Europe Is Packing Out Stadiums – Is Australia Missing the Bigger Picture?

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Image credit: Maciej Rogowski

More than 60 million fans attended matches across Europe’s five major domestic leagues during the 2025/26 season, with average attendances rising 2.4 per cent to 34,402 spectators per game.

On the surface, the figures paint a picture of a healthy ecosystem. Stadiums are fuller than ever, supporters continue to attend in large numbers and live football remains one of the most compelling entertainment products in the world.

But headline crowd figures only tell part of the story.

The more revealing measure is stadium utilisation how much of a venue’s capacity is actually being filled and the structural factors influencing those numbers.

For clubs, higher attendances don’t simply mean more ticket sales. Every additional supporter creates revenue opportunities across hospitality, food and beverage, merchandise and memberships. Modern stadiums are increasingly designed to maximise revenue per visitor, making infrastructure investment as much a commercial decision as a football one.

Attendance growth needs context

In Germany, the Bundesliga reclaimed its position as Europe’s best-attended league, averaging more than 42,300 spectators per match following a 9.4 per cent increase on last year’s figures.

However, much of that growth was driven by the return of traditional powerhouses Hamburger SV and 1. FC Köln. Both clubs continued to attract crowds of more than 50,000 despite spending recent seasons in the second division.

Their promotion didn’t suddenly create new supporters.

It returned two of German football’s biggest fan bases to the top flight, demonstrating how promotion and relegation can significantly influence league-wide attendance trends.

Everton shows how new stadiums can unlock demand

While the Premier League recorded another increase in average attendance, much of that growth can be traced to Everton’s move into the new Hill Dickinson Stadium. The larger venue added almost 13,000 spectators per home match compared with Goodison Park, accounting for more than half of the league’s overall attendance growth during the season.

Rather than generating new demand, the project unlocked demand that already existed.

That distinction matters.

Attendance should be viewed alongside stadium utilisation because many clubs have effectively reached capacity.

A stadium averaging 98 per cent capacity tells a very different story to one averaging 60 per cent, even if the latter attracts more spectators overall.

High utilisation suggests strong demand, pricing power and a compelling matchday experience, while lower utilisation can indicate untapped potential or a venue unfit for its market.

Capacity is becoming a strategic issue

In competitions where grounds are regularly close to full, future growth will depend less on attracting new supporters and more on expanding or redeveloping stadiums.

Elsewhere, the opportunity lies in making better use of existing capacity.

Spain illustrates how infrastructure can also temporarily suppress attendances. Barcelona’s continued absence from the Spotify Camp Nou during its redevelopment has limited crowd numbers despite strong demand.

Real Madrid’s renovated Santiago Bernabéu, meanwhile, demonstrates how modern stadium investment can increase not only capacity but also commercial revenue through premium hospitality.

League structures also shape attendance trends

Ligue 1’s growth over recent seasons has coincided with its reduction from 20 clubs to 18, concentrating a greater number of well-supported clubs within the competition and lifting average attendances as a result.

Stadium investment, league composition, promotion and relegation, and long-term supporter culture all play a role.

Taken together, the figures suggest that attendance growth is rarely driven by a single factor.

The lesson for Australian football

Crowd figures are often viewed as the primary indicator of a league’s health, but European football demonstrates that context matters just as much as the headline number.

The recent Australia Cup fixture between South Melbourne and Preston Lions provides a good local example. While the official attendance was 6,673, the packed grandstands, active supporter groups and television presentation created an atmosphere that felt far larger than the raw figure suggested.

It was a reminder that fan engagement, venue utilisation and matchday experience can often say more about the health of a competition than attendance alone.

A sold-out 15,000-seat stadium may indicate stronger demand than a half-full 30,000-seat venue, while investment in infrastructure can unlock thousands of additional supporters without changing underlying interest in the game itself.

As clubs continue to invest in new stadiums and redevelop existing venues, attendance should increasingly be measured not simply by how many people are watching, but by how effectively football is meeting supporter demand.

The crowds may be rising, but the real story is why.

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