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ICYMI: Football Australia reveals AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 host cities: Football Australia is delighted to confirm that New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have been chosen as the host states put forward for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026. The selection of candidate host states underscores Australia's position as the exclusive bidder for the event, supported by a recommendation from the AFC Women’s Football Committee in March and also the withdrawal of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan’s applications. The final decision on hosting rights is anticipated to be approved by the AFC Executive Committee in May. Building on the incredible triumph of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, this bid seeks to maintain and amplify the economic and social benefits of significant women’s football tournaments. The event is forecasted to yield up to $260 million in economic output and foster the creation of over 1,000 job opportunities. Football Australia CEO James Johnson highlighted the significance of staging the tournament said via press release: “Hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 offers a golden opportunity to continue the dynamic growth and popularity of women’s football in Australia,” he said. “Last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup laid a robust foundation, and we are eager to build upon this legacy to further enhance our football landscape both nationally and regionally.” Johnson underlines the power of government backing. “The backing from all levels of government is crucial as we tackle the surge in participation and the urgent need for improved facilities, this support is essential to maintain the momentum and ensure the continuous development of the sport across this country,” he added via media release. “The Federal Government’s ‘Play Our Way’ Grants program is a welcomed initiative to address the community facilities gap.” The achievements of Australian national teams, such as the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas, have spurred a nationwide surge in football involvement. There was a notable 12% rise in 2023, and an impressive 20% increase has already been observed in 2024. Football Australia is capitalizing on the AFC Women’s Asian Cup as an opportunity to elevate participation rates and advance the sport, aligning its efforts with upcoming international events like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics & Paralympics. The post Football Australia reveals AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 host cities appeared first on Soccerscene. #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

Football Australia reveals AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 host cities: Football Australia is delighted to confirm that New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have been chosen as the host states put forward for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026. The selection of candidate host states underscores Australia's position as the exclusive bidder for the event, supported by a recommendation from the AFC Women’s Football Committee in March and also the withdrawal of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan’s applications. The final decision on hosting rights is anticipated to be approved by the AFC Executive Committee in May. Building on the incredible triumph of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, this bid seeks to maintain and amplify the economic and social benefits of significant women’s football tournaments. The event is forecasted to yield up to $260 million in economic output and foster the creation of over 1,000 job opportunities. Football Australia CEO James Johnson highlighted the significance of staging the tournament said via press release: “Hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 offers a golden opportunity to continue the dynamic growth and popularity of women’s football in Australia,” he said. “Last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup laid a robust foundation, and we are eager to build upon this legacy to further enhance our football landscape both nationally and regionally.” Johnson underlines the power of government backing. “The backing from all levels of government is crucial as we tackle the surge in participation and the urgent need for improved facilities, this support is essential to maintain the momentum and ensure the continuous development of the sport across this country,” he added via media release. “The Federal Government’s ‘Play Our Way’ Grants program is a welcomed initiative to address the community facilities gap.” The achievements of Australian national teams, such as the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas, have spurred a nationwide surge in football involvement. There was a notable 12% rise in 2023, and an impressive 20% increase has already been observed in 2024. Football Australia is capitalizing on the AFC Women’s Asian Cup as an opportunity to elevate participation rates and advance the sport, aligning its efforts with upcoming international events like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics & Paralympics. The post Football Australia reveals AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 host cities appeared first on Soccerscene. #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

LATEST NEWS: Crucial moments loom for Central Coast Mariners: Recently through the clamour in which the A-League churns out each season, Central Coast Mariners have been quietly charging towards what could be considered one of the club's greatest accomplishments. Australian football sometimes needs reminding regarding the pedigree in which their second football confederation boasts. Asia has the largest fan following of football than any other continent across the globe, residing over 800 million, passionate football fanatics. Since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 2007, Australia as a footballing nation has drastically improved. An Asian Cup triumph on home soil, accompanied by a series of successful World Cup Qualifying campaigns, has our presence within Asia definitely been understood. In 2014, Western Sydney Wanderers notoriously defied the odds against Asian Moguls Al-Hilal over a 1-0 win played across two legs of extremely intense finals football. It catapulted a relatively newly founded club at the time, into current financial stability, recognition, and prestige across both Asia and Australia. The total prize money the Sydney-based club had earned from winning the most coveted prize in Asian Football, was a whopping 3.5 million dollars, and the opportunity to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. Since 2007, A-League clubs at the business end of the ladder, are eligible for Asian football qualification, qualifying for both the Asian Champions League, or AFC Cup. The cash injection Asian football has had upon the A-League is what the doctor ordered for Australian football. Influxes of revenue generated through international advertisement, television rights, international sponsorship proposition. The possibilities are open-minded. As are the Central Coast Mariners who are currently three games away from their biggest pay-day in their history. The Gosford based outfit have been custodians of the A-League since its inception. Their youth academy is considered as one of the best across the country, breeding the likes of Mile Jedinak, Tom Rogic and Mat Ryan, who all shared successful careers in both domestic and international football, spanning across Europe. A-League Premiership triumphs occurred in 2007-08 and 2011-12, culminating in Champions League qualification. A maiden Championship win in 2013, was complemented by another, a decade later. A second place finish in the 2022-23 season, resulted in qualification for Asia’s second most coveted prize, the AFC Cup. The new format of the competition means that clubs within the tournament are divided into five separate zones. Central Coast were victorious within their zone, beating fellow A-League side Macarthur in the inter-zonal final. The Mariners have positioned themselves into a semi-final, and will face Chinese outfit FC Abdysh-Ata Kant, over two legs to determine the finalist.… Read here 👇 #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

MUST READ: Crucial moments loom for Central Coast Mariners: Recently through the clamour in which the A-League churns out each season, Central Coast Mariners have been quietly charging towards what could be considered, one of the club's greatest accomplishments. Australian football sometimes needs reminding regarding the pedigree in which their second football confederation boasts. Asia has the largest fan following of football than any other continent across the globe, residing over 800 million, passionate football fanatics. Since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 07, Australia as a footballing nation has drastically improved. An Asian Cup triumph on home soil, accompanied by a series of successful World Cup Qualifying campaigns, has our presence within Asia has definitely been understood. In 2014, Western Sydney Wanderers notoriously defied the odds against Asian Moguls Al-Halil over a 1-0 win played across two legs of extremely intense finals football. It catapulted a relatively newly founded club at the time, into current financial stability, recognition, and prestige across both Asia and Australia. The total prize money the Sydney-based club had earned from winning the most coveted prize in Asian Football, was a whopping 3.5 million dollars, and the opportunity to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. Since 2007, A-League clubs at the business end of the ladder, are eligible for Asian football qualification, qualifying for both the Asian Champions League, or AFC Cup. The cash injection Asian football has had upon the A-League is what the doctor ordered, for Australian Football. Influxes of revenue generated through international advertisement, television rights, international sponsorship proposition. The possibilities are open-minded. As are the Central Coast Mariners who are currently three games away from their biggest pay-day in their history. The Gosford based outfit have been custodians of the A-League since its inception. Their youth academy is considered as one of the best across the country, breeding the likes of Mile Jedinak, Tom Rogic and Matt Ryan, who all shared successful careers in both domestic and international football, spanning across Europe. A-League Premiership triumphs occurred in 2007-08 and 2011-12, culminating in Champions League qualification. A maiden Championship win in 2013, was complemented by another, a decade later. A second place finish in the 2022-23 season, resulted in qualification for Asia’s second most coveted prize, the AFC Cup. The new format of the competition means that clubs within the tournament are divided into five separate zones. Central Coast were victorious within their zone, beating fellow A-League side Macarthur in the inter-zonal final. The Mariners have positioned themselves into a semi-final, and will face Chinese outfit FC Abdysh-Ata Kant, over two legs to determine the finalist. The new… #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

ICYMI: LATEST NEWS: Crucial moments loom for Central Coast Mariners: Recently through the clamour in which the A-League churns out each season, Central Coast Mariners have been quietly charging towards what could be considered one of the club's greatest accomplishments. Australian football sometimes needs reminding regarding the pedigree in which their second football confederation boasts. Asia has the largest fan following of football than any other continent across the globe, residing over 800 million, passionate football fanatics. Since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 2007, Australia as a footballing nation has drastically improved. An Asian Cup triumph on home soil, accompanied by a series of successful World Cup Qualifying campaigns, has our presence within Asia definitely been understood. In 2014, Western Sydney Wanderers notoriously defied the odds against Asian Moguls Al-Hilal over a 1-0 win played across two legs of extremely intense finals football. It catapulted a relatively newly founded club at the time, into current financial stability, recognition, and prestige across both Asia and Australia. The total prize money the Sydney-based club had earned from winning the most coveted prize in Asian Football, was a whopping 3.5 million dollars, and the opportunity to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. Since 2007, A-League clubs at the business end of the ladder, are eligible for Asian football qualification, qualifying for both the Asian Champions League, or AFC Cup. The cash injection Asian football has had upon the A-League is what the doctor ordered for Australian football. Influxes of revenue generated through international advertisement, television rights, international sponsorship proposition. The possibilities are open-minded. As are the Central Coast Mariners who are currently three games away from their biggest pay-day in their history. The Gosford based outfit have been custodians of the A-League since its inception. Their youth academy is considered as one of the best across the country, breeding the likes of Mile Jedinak, Tom Rogic and Mat Ryan, who all shared successful careers in both domestic and international football, spanning across Europe. A-League Premiership triumphs occurred in 2007-08 and 2011-12, culminating in Champions League qualification. A maiden Championship win in 2013, was complemented by another, a decade later. A second place finish in the 2022-23 season, resulted in qualification for Asia’s second most coveted prize, the AFC Cup. The new format of the competition means that clubs within the tournament are divided into five separate zones. Central Coast were victorious within their zone, beating fellow A-League side Macarthur in the inter-zonal final. The Mariners have positioned themselves into a semi-final, and will face Chinese outfit FC Abdysh-Ata Kant, over two legs to determine the… Read here 👇 #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

ICYMI: Crucial moments loom for Central Coast Mariners: Recently through the clamour in which the A-League churns out each season, Central Coast Mariners have been quietly charging towards what could be considered, one of the club's greatest accomplishments. Australian football sometimes needs reminding regarding the pedigree in which their second football confederation boasts. Asia has the largest fan following of football than any other continent across the globe, residing over 800 million, passionate football fanatics. Since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 07, Australia as a footballing nation has drastically improved. An Asian Cup triumph on home soil, accompanied by a series of successful World Cup Qualifying campaigns, has our presence within Asia has definitely been understood. In 2014, Western Sydney Wanderers notoriously defied the odds against Asian Moguls Al-Halil over a 1-0 win played across two legs of extremely intense finals football. It catapulted a relatively newly founded club at the time, into current financial stability, recognition, and prestige across both Asia and Australia. The total prize money the Sydney-based club had earned from winning the most coveted prize in Asian Football, was a whopping 3.5 million dollars, and the opportunity to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. Since 2007, A-League clubs at the business end of the ladder, are eligible for Asian football qualification, qualifying for both the Asian Champions League, or AFC Cup. The cash injection Asian football has had upon the A-League is what the doctor ordered, for Australian Football. Influxes of revenue generated through international advertisement, television rights, international sponsorship proposition. The possibilities are open-minded. As are the Central Coast Mariners who are currently three games away from their biggest pay-day in their history. The Gosford based outfit have been custodians of the A-League since its inception. Their youth academy is considered as one of the best across the country, breeding the likes of Mile Jedinak, Tom Rogic and Matt Ryan, who all shared successful careers in both domestic and international football, spanning across Europe. A-League Premiership triumphs occurred in 2007-08 and 2011-12, culminating in Champions League qualification. A maiden Championship win in 2013, was complemented by another, a decade later. A second place finish in the 2022-23 season, resulted in qualification for Asia’s second most coveted prize, the AFC Cup. The new format of the competition means that clubs within the tournament are divided into five separate zones. Central Coast were victorious within their zone, beating fellow A-League side Macarthur in the inter-zonal final. The Mariners have positioned themselves into a semi-final, and will face Chinese outfit FC Abdysh-Ata Kant, over two legs to determine the finalist. The new format… #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

Why are there so many international breaks? Or are there? The men's international football calendar is split into 5 different breaks across the course of the season - one each in September, October, November, March, and June. 📆 A typical international break consists of two fixtures for each country, during which major domestic league matches are paused. The schedule of the three international breaks in September, October and November has been in place for decades. But from 2026, the September and October international breaks will be combined into a single window of four matches. Dates are set so far in advance that the calendar for international breaks has already been published as far as 2030. European nations compete in four kinds of matches during international breaks, depending on which major tournaments are coming up. Fixtures can be classed as Fifa World Cup qualifiers, Uefa European Championship qualifiers, Uefa Nations League fixtures, or friendlies. Are there more men's international matches than before? The introduction of the Nations League, in which teams of a similar ranking play a group stage against each other, before the four winners of the top-level groups advance to a mini finals competition, in 2018 has not led to an increase in the number of international fixtures or breaks. Instead, Nations League fixtures have replaced some of the friendlies, meaning the number of international matches on the annual calendar remains the same. The international football calendar is set by world governing body FIFA and agreed by the 6 continental football associations. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) CONCACAF (North and Central America) CONMEBOL (South America) Oceania Football Confederation (Oceania) UEFA (Europe) Clubs are required to release their players to international teams when they are called into a squad. A player is entitled to take up to 4 days away from club duty per international fixture, rising to 5 days for matches played on a different continent, meaning players tend to train with their international team mates for about 10 days during breaks. The frequency of international breaks, particularly the three which take place in consecutive months in autumn, often draws ire from fans of clubs competing in the world's major domestic leagues. 😭 The national football associations of countries lower down the Fifa rankings often rely heavily on revenue from broadcast rights for fixtures played against other nations. 💰 That money plays a key role in maintaining and developing football infrastructure in those nations. In recent years, greater attention has been focused on the wellbeing and workload of football's elite players, who in many cases are playing more matches than ever. www.the-afc.com www.cafonline.com www.concacaf.com www.conmebol.com www.oceaniafootball.com www.uefa.com #kickoff #morethanfootball #internationalfootball

Crucial moments loom for Central Coast Mariners: Recently through the clamour in which the A-League churns out each season, Central Coast Mariners have been quietly charging towards what could be considered, one of the club's greatest accomplishments. Australian football sometimes needs reminding regarding the pedigree in which their second football confederation boasts. Asia has the largest fan following of football than any other continent across the globe, residing over 800 million, passionate football fanatics. Since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 07, Australia as a footballing nation has drastically improved. An Asian Cup triumph on home soil, accompanied by a series of successful World Cup Qualifying campaigns, has our presence within Asia has definitely been understood. In 2014, Western Sydney Wanderers notoriously defied the odds against Asian Moguls Al-Halil over a 1-0 win played across two legs of extremely intense finals football. It catapulted a relatively newly founded club at the time, into current financial stability, recognition, and prestige across both Asia and Australia. The total prize money the Sydney-based club had earned from winning the most coveted prize in Asian Football, was a whopping 3.5 million dollars, and the opportunity to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. Since 2007, A-League clubs at the business end of the ladder, are eligible for Asian football qualification, qualifying for both the Asian Champions League, or AFC Cup. The cash injection Asian football has had upon the A-League is what the doctor ordered, for Australian Football. Influxes of revenue generated through international advertisement, television rights, international sponsorship proposition. The possibilities are open-minded. As are the Central Coast Mariners who are currently three games away from their biggest pay-day in their history. The Gosford based outfit have been custodians of the A-League since its inception. Their youth academy is considered as one of the best across the country, breeding the likes of Mile Jedinak, Tom Rogic and Matt Ryan, who all shared successful careers in both domestic and international football, spanning across Europe. A-League Premiership triumphs occurred in 2007-08 and 2011-12, culminating in Champions League qualification. A maiden Championship win in 2013, was complemented by another, a decade later. A second place finish in the 2022-23 season, resulted in qualification for Asia’s second most coveted prize, the AFC Cup. The new format of the competition means that clubs within the tournament are divided into five separate zones. Central Coast were victorious within their zone, beating fellow A-League side Macarthur in the inter-zonal final. The Mariners have positioned themselves into a semi-final, and will face Chinese outfit FC Abdysh-Ata Kant, over two legs to determine the finalist. The new format of the… #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

Muinjo lauds Cosafa impact : Ex-Namibia Football Association president John Muinjo has praised the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) for uplifting football standards in the region. Muinjo, a founding member of Cosafa in 1997, believes the qualification of a record seven southern African countries to the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations finals is down to the contribution of Cosafa. Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, Comoros, and Angola will all be flying Cosafa’s flag in Morocco early next year. Cosafa annually organises tournaments from the under-17 to senior level, which provide the region with a priceless development platform. “I’m actually very excited about the record qualification as former executive committee and founding member of Cosafa,” Muinjo told The Namibian Sport yesterday. “After getting what you manifested, ask for discipline to keep it and wisdom to multiply it and multiplication is the order of the day now. “It goes to show that the Cosafa region has made great strides and that the Cosafa competitions are adding a lot of value,” he said. Previously considered inferior to west and north Africa, with several of its members in the lower reaches of international football rankings, the southern region appears to have significantly closed the gap to their more illustrious rivals. More needs to be done to maintain the upward trajectory of southern African football, Muinjo said. “If we want to make inroads in African football and world football it’s imperative that governments should provide for adequate playable stadiums, so that all national teams and players at all levels and genders could get the required exposure and dignified respect,” he advised. “Management of stadia are key known deliverables from all stakeholders too as lessons learned from being homeless for too many years that are costly and undesirable too. Players need home support and identity too.” To date, the Cosafa region has only ever managed to win two Afcon titles. South Africa won it on home soil in 1996, while Zambia stunned the continent with success in 2012. Part of the reason is down to having little to no players plying their trade in world football’s leading leagues, Muinjo said. Another crucial variable that West and North Africa exploit to remain ahead of the rest of the continent is scouring the top footballing nations for expatriates who benefited from high-level youth development. “We need to place more and more players from Cosafa in Europe and the Middle East,” Muinjo said. “What a turnaround for Cosafa. This positive trajectory is inspiring and promising that qualifying for the Fifa World Cup and winning Afcon are not far-fetched dreams for Cosafa teams. “Gone are the days when the north and west dominated African football. Bring it on!” The post Muinjo lauds Cosafa impact  appeared first on The Namibian.

I recently had the chance to write about UEFA's new women's football strategy ‘𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘’ for The Halfway Line. UNSTOPPABLE has been developed in collaboration with football stakeholders across Europe, setting out the strategic priorities to achieve a vibrant and sustainable future for the next generation of players, coaches, referees, volunteers, and fans. https://lnkd.in/e7hg6_8p The strategy goals: • To make football the most played team sport for women and girls in every European country, through developing football pathways for players, coaches and referees alongside grassroots opportunities • To make Europe the home of the world’s top players, with six fully professional leagues and 5,000 fully professional players across the continent • To make football the most sustainable and investable women’s sport, with record-breaking UEFA competitions • To ensure women’s football is celebrated for its unique values and community, where everyone believes that they can have a place