Selection dilemma looms between Tillies’ stars and eager young guns

Australia was officially named host of the 2026 AFC* Asian Women’s Cup at the AFC Congress in Thailand.

Another major women’s football tournament on home soil is a massive coup* for Football Australia and the sport in general – but it could also give the more experienced Matildas a reason to keep their boots on.

A total of 12 nations will take part in the tournament, with games to be held in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.

Matildas winger Cortnee Vine said it was a massive win.

“It’s pretty unreal,” Vine said. “Not many people can say they’ve been to a tournament on home soil.

“I got to be at the World Cup on home soil, which is unbelievable, and then now to hopefully play at an Asian Cup, it’s unreal.

“The crowds we got at the World Cup, I have no doubt they’ll be there at the Asian Cup as well, so big sell out games are to be expected.”

Several fan favourites have hinted that the upcoming Paris Olympics would be their last major tournament in the green and gold, despite the team’s phenomenal* success of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Vine said the chance of recreating the World Cup magic, playing in front of a home crowd and potentially lifting the AFC Asian Women’s Cup for the first time since 2010 could inspire these experienced players to kick on.

“It’s a bit of a trap with the cycle, there’s always something else coming,” Vine said.

“You have World Cups, then the Olympics, there’s a little break but if you hang on for another year, you’ll get to be at another home tournament. I definitely think that’ll play on their minds.”

Goalkeeper Lydia Williams is the only one to officially announce her post-Olympics retirement plans.

Defender Aivi Luik is in top form but at 39 is unlikely to be playing come 2026.

Clare Polkinghorne, Australia’s most capped* player, has been plagued* by injury and at 35 has certainly earned the right to hang up her Matildas jersey.

Midfielder Katrina Gorry said the Olympics would likely be her last chance to celebrate a major tournament win with the Matildas.

If they do choose to keep playing, their spots on the team are far from certain.

The Matildas could have a new coach come 2026. Tony Gustavsson’s current contract is due to expire after the Paris Olympics and a new deal yet to be struck.

On top of that, there is a growing contingent* of talented young players just waiting for their chance to mimic* the heroes they grew up watching from the grandstands. Vying for selection in the 2026 tournament could become a battle between the seasoned stars and the hungry young guns.

Take Melbourne City and Australian under-23s forward Daniela Galic.

The 17-year-old was named the A-League Women’s Young Footballer of the Year – scoring seven goals in her 22 matches.

Gustavsson even called her into a senior camp as a training partner.

Brisbane Roar’s Sharn Frier has one cap to her name after her first call up for the game against Mexico and is sure to be on any national team coach’s radar.

There is also teen football prodigy* Indiana dos Santos – a once-in-a-generation talent.

Perth Glory’s Hana Lowry is a regular in the under-23s team and likely to challenge for a spot in the senior team.

Injured forward Holly McNamara can’t be forgotten either – she is only 21 and sure to bounce back from her third ACL injury.

Then there are the current fringe players with experience in international football just waiting for their moment – such as Charli Grant, Clare Wheeler, Amy Sayer, Courtney Nevin, Teagan Michah and Jada Whyman.

Dates for the 2026 AFC Asian Women’s Cup tournament are yet to be confirmed.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• AFC: Asian Football Confederation
• coup: successfully achieving something hard, a triumph, a feat
• phenomenal: exceptional, extraordinary, incredible
• capped: number of appearances as part of a national team
• plagued: tormented, troubled, afflicted over and over by the same injury or impediment
• contingent: group of people with something specific in common
• prodigy: someone young with a great or exceptional ability to do something very well

EXTRA READING

Matildas waltzing to Paris Games

Matildas’ Olympic ambitions build

UNO trumps yellow card at soccer

QUICK QUIZ

1. Which major international sporting event will Australia host in 2026?
2. How many nations will take part and in which states will the tournament be played?
3. In what year did the Matildas last win the AFC Asian Women’s Cup?
4. Who was named A-League Women’s Young Footballer of the Year and at what age?
5. Who is described in the article as “a once-in-a-generation talent”?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. A coach’s dilemma
There are many talented players, both experienced and emerging, for the Matildas’ coach to select. Brainstorm a list of all of the things you think a coach would consider when selecting the team. Compare your list with a partner and agree on what you both think is the “Top 5” list of considerations.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

2. Extension
Create a player profile for a past, present or potential Matilda. Include a picture (drawn or printed), their vital statistics and a list of achievements.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

VCOP ACTIVITY
Exercise the body and the mind
Exercise is not only important for the body, but it’s a lot of fun as well. Let’s bring more exercise into classroom learning by creating a VCOP PE game.

You can add a VCOP challenge to pretty much any game, and it’s a great way to encourage the teacher to let the class play more games.

Here is an example to get you started, then you create one of your own.

VCOP dodgeball
The normal rules of dodgeball apply. Two teams throw soft balls at each other and if you get hit, you have to sit out. The team who knocks out all the players on the other team, wins.

VCOP challenge: when you get eliminated, collect a mini-whiteboard and a basic clause from the sidelines. Up-level the sentence (make it better) by adding VCOP. When you show the teacher your completed sentence, you can return to the game.

Play for a set amount of time and the team with the most players left on the court wins.

Support: use the “Up-Level It” card set – players have to complete one card from the set instead of completing all VCOP challenges.

What can you come up with?