The Matildas Are Back in Australia to Play Three Games Over the Next Week If You're Missing the Women's World Cup
Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler and the rest of the squad will take to the field in Perth — and all three games are sold out, with 100,000 tickets snapped up.
For a glorious month this winter, the Matildas were everywhere. When the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup took place Down Under in July and August, Australia's national women's soccer team made history on the pitch and on TV screens, and the country revelled in every moment. Been missing that time, living and breathing all things Sam Kerr and Mackenzie Arnold, being on calf watch, and donning green and gold? For the next week, the squad is back on home turf to play three matches.
The Tillies' players have been busy since August, of course, thanks to their regular club seasons around the world. Some of the Matildas ply their trade year-round in England, in the Women's Super League; some hit the turf on home soil; and others are in teams everywhere from France and Spain to Sweden and Mexico. But, kicking off on Thursday, October 26 — and then also taking to the field on Sunday, October 29 and Wednesday, November 1 — this is the first time that the squad is back together since their Women's World Cup campaign.
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The reason? Qualifying matches for the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the Tillies playing all three games in Kerr's hometown of Perth. First up at 10pm AEDT / 9pm AEST / 7pm AWST on Thursday is Iran, followed by The Philippines at 6pm AEDT / 5pm AEST / 3pm AWST on Sunday and then Chinese Taipei at 10pm AEDT / 9pm AEST / 7pm AWST on Wednesday.
If you're in the Western Australian capital and want to go along, or you're keen to head over, you'd best already have tickets as all three games are sold out. The match against The Philippines had already been moved to the 60,000-seat Optus Stadium to fit more fans in. The other two games are being played at the 20,000-capacity HBF Park — so that's 100,000 seats sold, a feat that's given the Matildas 11 soldout games in a row.
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To watch along from home, 10Play, 10Bold and Paramount+ are your destinations — plus Network 10 on regular TV.
As for the squad, Kerr, Arnold, Alanna Kennedy, Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Katrina Gorry, Hayley Raso, Cortnee Vine, Emily van Egmond and Tameka Yallop are among the team.
After this, you have a few more chances to get your Matildas fix this year. The team will play two friendlies against Canada in Canada on Saturday, December 2 and Tuesday, December 5 — and, in Sydney, Arnold, Fowler and Kennedy are doing a live fan stadium event on Thursday, December 21.
MATILDAS OLYMPIC QUALIFYING MATCHES IN PERTH:
Thursday, October 26 — versus Iran at 10pm AEDT / 9pm AEST / 7pm AWST
Sunday, October 29 — versus The Philippines at 6pm AEDT / 5pm AEST / 3pm AWST
Wednesday, November 1 — versus Chinese Taipei at 10pm AEDT / 9pm AEST / 7pm AWST
The Matildas' Olympic qualifiers in Perth take place from Thursday, October 26–Wednesday, November 1 — and you can watch via 10Play, 10Bold and Paramount+.
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