CANBERRA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Football Australia (FA) has celebrated the country being awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup.
The AFC Executive Committee on Wednesday officially ratified the recommendation of the AFC Women's Football Committee that Australia host the 2026 tournament.
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand broke attendance records for the tournament, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino described it as the best ever Women's World Cup.
Matches for the 12-team 2026 Women's Asian Cup will take place in the states of New South Wales (NSW), Queensland and Western Australia (WA), all of which hosted World Cup games, including a semifinal and the final at Sydney's Stadium Australia in NSW.
Australia last hosted the Women's Asian Cup in 2006 when the national women's team, the Matildas, made the final for the first time but lost to China on penalties.
Australia went on to win the tournament for the first time in 2010 and made the final again in 2014 and 2018 but were defeated by Japan on both occasions.
The Matildas are currently on a streak of playing in front of 12 consecutive sell-out crowds in Australia and will next play warm-ups with China in Adelaide on May 31 and in Sydney on June 3. ■
