Sydney’s Matildas
HOT on the heels of a recordbreaking turnout for the national side, Sydney will yet again play host to a major match, with FIFA announcing the Matildas will play their World Cup opener at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The stadium, which is being rebuilt after demolition work began on it in 2019, will also host another six group stage matches, with the full draw for the 2023 Women’s World Cup announced.
The Matildas will be in Group B, while tournament co-host New Zealand will play its pool games in Group A, beginning with the tournament opener at Eden Park in Auckland on July 20.
The month-long football feast will represent a historic occasion, as it will be the first time ever the showpiece event has been jointly hosted.
Fans in both countries will have plenty of world-class football to enjoy on their doorstep, as Australia hosts a further six group-stage games in Sydney, five in Perth and Brisbane as well as four in Melbourne and Adelaide. In New Zealand, Auckland will host five games in addition to the tournament opener, seven matches will be played in Wellington, six in Dunedin and five in Hamilton.
The round of 16 games will take place from August 5-8, which will see Stadium Australia – the site of the recordbreaking crowd for the Matildas’ recent matchup against the US – host its first game of the tournament.
The host nations will yet again share the duties for the quarterfinals, with games to be played in Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland and Wellington.
The semi-finals will be contested at Stadium Australia and Eden Park, with the winners of those games going through to the final, which will also be played at Stadium Australia on August 20.
Football Australia chief executive James Johnson emphasised the importance of having all Matildas games on home soil, as the Australian public prepares to feverishly cheer on Tony Gustavsson’s side in 2023.
“We are very pleased with the match schedule from many perspectives,” Johnson said.
“It has delivered Australia a higher split of matches with 35 of a possible 64 matches.”