Sydney and Perth to Host Majority of 2026 Women’s Asian Cup Matches in Australia
The 2026 Women’s Asian Cup is gearing up to bring some of Asia’s finest women’s soccer talent to Australia from March 1 to March 21.
This 12-team tournament will mark Australia’s largest soccer event since co-hosting the Women’s World Cup with New Zealand in 2023, which drew massive crowds and record-breaking TV audiences as the Australian team made an exciting run to the semi-finals.
This time, the Women’s Asian Cup promises to be another historic milestone for soccer in Australia, with the tournament’s venues and preliminary schedule already laid out by Football Australia.
Five premier venues across three cities—Sydney, Perth, and the Gold Coast—will host matches, with games planned for Stadium Australia and Western Sydney Stadium in Sydney, Perth Stadium and Perth Rectangular Stadium in Western Australia, and Gold Coast Stadium in Southeast Queensland.
This geographically diverse plan highlights two opposite corners of the continent, offering fans from across the country a chance to witness world-class soccer action.
However, to meet the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) hosting protocols, all selected stadiums must remain dedicated solely to the tournament throughout its duration. This requirement has ruled out major venues in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide, where domestic sporting competitions are likely to be underway in March, creating potential scheduling conflicts.
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Despite this, Football Australia emphasized that the chosen cities—Sydney, Perth, and the Gold Coast—had presented the best bids, each aligned with the AFC’s exclusive-use guidelines.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson addressed the venue selection, noting that although Melbourne is the nation’s most populous city and a vital part of the country’s sporting landscape, the selected cities provided the most viable options for the Women’s Asian Cup.
“We see a big opportunity to continue growing player participation in Queensland, especially on the Gold Coast,” he shared with Australian media. “We’re very pleased with the decisions we’ve made, and we’re confident the tournament will further raise the profile of women’s soccer in these regions.”
The final tournament schedule and venue plans will still need formal ratification from the AFC’s Executive Committee in early December. Once confirmed, these plans will set the stage for an event that is expected to capture the hearts of fans across Australia.
The recent Women’s World Cup proved that Australian fans are eager supporters of women’s soccer, and the excitement is expected to carry through to the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup. The defending champions, China, who clinched the title at the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup in India, will be returning to defend their title, adding another level of anticipation as the tournament approaches.
The upcoming Women’s Asian Cup highlights the ongoing growth and investment in women’s soccer across Asia and Australia, which has taken on new importance following the record-breaking success of the Women’s World Cup.
With this momentum, Australia is once again preparing to showcase its world-class facilities, dedicated fans, and passion for the sport, as it welcomes top women’s teams from across Asia for three weeks of high-level competition.