The wait is over. After months of anticipation, the 2026 Women's Asian Cup has arrived, and the Matildas are ready to open their campaign in front of a home crowd in Perth. From the opening whistle, this was always going to be a tournament that captured the attention of a football-mad nation, and Sunday night's clash against the Philippines sets the stage for what promises to be a thrilling continental contest.
Kickoff in Perth is scheduled for 5pm local time on Sunday 1 March. For those watching from the east coast, that translates to 8pm in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT, 7:30pm in South Australia, and 7pm in Queensland. Viewers in the Northern Territory can tune in from 6:30pm.
For those settling in on the couch, coverage options are plentiful. All Matildas matches will be broadcast live on Network 10, with the full tournament available to stream on Paramount Plus. The ABC will carry live radio broadcasts of every Matildas fixture and all knockout games, accessible through a dedicated Asian Cup button on ABC Listen. Commentators Ned Hall, Clint Wheeldon, Quentin Hull and Brett Sprigg will call the action, joined in the commentary box by former Matildas Collette Gardiner, Alicia Ferguson, Amy Harrison and Elissia Carnavas.
Australia is hosting the tournament for the second time, with matches spread across stadiums in Perth, Sydney and the Gold Coast. For the travelling faithful making the trip across state lines, it is worth every kilometre.
A squad built on experience and emerging talent
The Matildas' 26-player squad holds few surprises for followers of the game. Sam Kerr, the superstar striker who has carried Australian football on her shoulders through some of its finest moments, captains the side. Around her, the familiar names are back: Ellie Carpenter at right back, Steph Catley bringing experience from the left, and Haley Raso and Caitlin Foord providing pace and creativity in attack.
The selection of Mary Fowler is the story that has generated the most conversation in the lead-up. The mercurial attacker was included despite returning from an injury lay-off that stretched close to ten months. Her presence is a significant boost, both for her individual quality and for the signal it sends about the team's ambitions. Whether she goes straight into the starting eleven or is managed carefully through the group stage remains to be seen, but her availability alone lifts the ceiling of what this Matildas side can achieve.
The tournament represents a genuine opportunity. Australia reached the semi-finals of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on home soil, a run that sparked scenes of national euphoria. The Asian Cup offers a different kind of challenge but carries its own weight of expectation, particularly with the Matildas chasing a second continental crown after their 2010 triumph.
How to stay across all the action
ABC Sport will live blog every moment of Australian action throughout the tournament, with analysis, feature articles and coverage of all the major storylines available at abc.net.au/news/sport. Fans wanting instant alerts can download the ABC News app, then activate breaking news notifications and select sport under the topics section.
The kind of effort this squad is capable of reminds you why you fell in love with the game. Whether you are watching from a lounge room in Brisbane, a pub in Perth, or a stadium seat on the Gold Coast, Sunday night is as good a reason as any to believe this Matildas generation has another unforgettable chapter left to write.