As if 2023 wasn’t already shaping up to be a huge year in football, Football Australia has just made it even bigger by announcing that the Socceroos and the Matildas will play friendlies against the Three Lions and Lionesses in England later this year.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson announced the international matches in a statement released on Tuesday, noting that the increase in Australians playing club football in the UK makes the friendlies more important.
“Over the last two years, Football Australia has been dedicated to creating the right environment for national team success,” said Johnson.
“This means replicating tournament football by playing higher-ranked opponents on a more regular basis to ensure the best preparation and our teams are peaking come tournament time.
“For the CommBank Matildas, this has seen us playing against more top 10 ranked nations plus European and South American opponents. We will be replicating that strategy for the Subway Socceroos in the upcoming FIFA World Cup™ cycle.”
The news comes after Socceroos player Harry Souttar recently signed to Leicester City, marking our official return to the English Premier League after fellow Aussie Garang Kuol signed with Newcastle United, but was immediately transferred on loan to Heart of Midlothian.
When is the Matildas game?
The Matildas will have the chance to face off against the champions of Europe in April, just months before the Lionesses head down under for the World Cup. Considering England is ranked No. 4 in the FIFA Women’s rankings, this game will serve as a learning experience for the Australian side.
“It’s a chance for us to continue to gather crucial information on our style, our play and what we will need to continue evolving ahead of July’s kick-off,” Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said.
The Matildas will play the Lionesses at Brentford Community Stadium on Tuesday 11 April.
When is the Socceroos game?
Later in the year, the Socceroos will head to England to play their first ever game at Wembley Stadium against the Three Lions. Considering it has been 20 years since the Socceroos scored their only win against England — a game in which head coach Graham Arnold served as an assistant coach — this match is particularly sentimental.
“That night brings back some amazing memories for Australian football and football fans,” Arnold said of the 2003 match.
In a statement released on Tuesday Arnold expressed his excitement to be playing against one of the world’s best footballing nations at such an iconic stadium.
“As an Australian footballer and coach, playing England at Wembley is something all footballers dream of. Not just because of the occasion, but for the opportunity it presents to test ourselves against one of the world’s most revered footballing nations,” he said.
“We showed at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar that we can match it with the best and by playing the best on a more regular basis, it will only strengthen our preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and the AFC Asian Cup to be hosted by Qatar in early 2024.”
The Socceroos will face off against the Three Lions at Wembley Stadium on Friday 13 October. But here’s hoping the unlucky date doesn’t impact our chance of winning!
How can I watch the Matildas and the Socceroos?
Tickets for the Matildas game against England will go on sale at 11pm AEDT Wednesday 22 February via the FA website.
Ticket details for the Socceroos game at Wembley will be announced later in the year.
If you’re not keen to hop on a 24hr flight to England, both matches will be shown on Channel 10 and Paramount+.
