2026 Women’s Asian Cup: Can the Matildas triumph on home soil?
With Joe Montemurro at the helm and World Cup qualification on the line, the Matildas face mounting pressure to deliver in front of their own fans.
Australia are aiming to lift their second Women’s Asian Cup title as they host 11 of Asia’s best teams in the 21st edition of the tournament.
After the highs of the 2023 World Cup, much of the football world’s attention should turn to Australia again for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. This will be the second time that the tournament is being held down under, two decades on from Australia’s penalty shootout heartbreak in Adelaide.
The Matildas went on to emerge as winners in the same situation in 2010, with Sam Kerr scoring the opening goal on the night, but that was not on home soil. Winning a final on home soil is a special experience, which they will finally hope to realise this time around.
They can certainly take a lot of encouragement from the last World Cup, as they captivated fans across the country on a memorable journey to their first semi-final. The Asian Cup, however, will be quite different. The hosts will be under a good deal of pressure to not only perform well but also go on and win the tournament.
Joe Montemurro’s first major international tournament
Having won titles in his home country as well as top-flight leagues in England, Italy and France, with decorated clubs such as Arsenal, Juventus and OL Lyonnes, Joe Montemurro can stake a strong claim to being one of Australia’s most successful coaches. He took on his first national team job with the Matildas last year, knowing that he’d get the chance to take his legacy to the next level.
His appointment was an equally important one for Football Australia, who spent close to a year on the coaching search after a group-stage exit at the Olympics spelled the end of Tony Gustavsson’s tenure. The Swedish head coach was the architect behind the 2023 World Cup campaign where his solid defensive, counterattacking style of play proved fruitful, but fresh ideas seemed necessary before this Asian Cup.
Montemurro promised just that, as he pledged to develop a more possession-based style of play with the Matildas. Indeed, they have been working on their possession game in recent friendlies, coupling it with a high press in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Entering a tournament where they are among the firm favourites, such a stylistic shift seems to have come at the right time.
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