Australia vs Japan
Final of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup
Stadium Australia, Sydney
Kick-off at 8pm AEDT on Saturday, 21 March
Happy Asian Cup Final Day!
Let’s get the big news out of the way first: Sam Kerr says she’s not injured.
Does that mean she’ll definitely play tonight? You’d like to think so, given all that happened at the Women’s World Cup a few years ago, but fans across Australia will probably only breathe a proper sigh of relief once they see her name on the team sheet a little over an hour before kick-off tonight.
Kerr injury dramas aside, this is the match-up that officials, fans and the players themselves would have all been hoping for when the tournament kicked off three weeks ago - a clash between the hosts and the top side in Asian football.
Despite Japan coach Nils Nielsen’s insistence that there’s no such thing as favourites in a final - a point he illustrated using an analogy that I’m pretty sure nobody saw coming, involving flies, bees, honey and… ahem… “sh*t” - there’s no doubt that logic points to his side being simply too strong tonight.
But big games like this aren’t always about logic. The Matildas have, at times in this tournament, relied on flashes of brilliance, the roar of the home crowd and a ‘never say die’ attitude to get them over the line, and there’s certainly a chance that could be enough tonight.
If it is, this will go down as yet another memorable night for Australian football at Stadium Australia, which has already provided so many iconic moments for the beautiful game in this country.
David Weiner touched on some of those moments, from John Aloisi’s penalty against Uruguay in 2005 to Kerr’s goal in the World Cup semi-final a few years ago, in this article he wrote immediately after sitting in the pre-match press conference held by Matildas coach Joe Montemurro and vice-captain Ellie Carpenter.
That’s the press conference Kerr was initially going to attend before Carpenter was subbed in. In Kerr’s absence, the Matildas right-back issued a spine tingling call-to-arms for fans and players alike.
"… when can I say even that I'll have another final in Australia in a major tournament? Never, probably,” Carpenter said.
“… this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us and most of the girls careers and it is (about) who wants it more tomorrow.”
It’s the kind of rev-up that is likely to have made Heather Garriock a bit emotional.
You can almost feel the excitement jumping off the page when you read this exclusive column penned for Football360 by the Matildas icon and current Deputy CEO of Football Australia.
In it, Garriock speaks with pride of being part of the first Aussie team to ever win the Asian Cup, alongside a 16-year-old Sam Kerr back in 2010, and how she would never have dreamed back then that she’d be in the position she, and women’s football more generally, is in right now.
It’s a wonderful way to kick-off this special day, and I’d highly recommend giving it a read over breakfast this morning.
But that is truly just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our pre-match coverage of tonight’s game. We really feel like we’ve covered every angle, from sharp analysis on Japan from esteemed women’s football writer Sam Lewis, to a look at the legacy Kerr will leave behind, regardless of the result tonight.
Scroll down to peruse all the great content we’ve got available - this really is a football-lover’s dream, so I hope you enjoy what we’ve laid out for you.
More importantly, I hope you enjoy tonight’s game.
Go Tillies.
FROM TEAMMATE TO BOSS: Matildas icon’s game day message to Golden Generation & what triggered emotional Asian Cup flashback
An exclusive column written by Matildas legend and current Deputy CEO of Football Australia, Heather Garriock, reflecting on her time as a senior teammate of many of the currrent squad, and the feeling of immense pride she’ll have when they walk onto Stadium Australia tonight.
JAPAN: How a Matildas XI from 2014 tells you everything about Japan’s frightening Asian football dominance
Sam Lewis delves into the contrasting visions within the women’s game in Japan and Australia, and how this has manifested in the make-ups of the two national teams heading into tonight’s final.
HISTORY: Sam Kerr, an arrival that never should’ve happened & a golden moment 16 years in the making
Revisit the 2010 Asian Cup through Sam Kerr’s eyes, and read how that tournament became the making of a player that is now arguably Australia’s greatest ever.
AUSSIE INSPIRATION: The Ellie Carpenter comments that gave us goosebumps & the rev-up Matildas fans will love
Read these comments from Ellie to get a bit of fire in the belly for tonight’s game!
‘WHY IS HONEY BETTER THAN S***?’: Japan coach stuns with most bizarre football analogy EVER
Nils Nielsen is fast becoming the breakout star of this tournament. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say after the final.
THE CHARACTER: Who is Nils Nielsen, the Japan coach who dropped one of The moments of the Asian Cup?
THE STORYLINE: The hurdle the Matildas have already overcome in bid for elusive moment: ‘It’s been a long time coming’
A look at what a win tonight would mean for the core group of players that have lifted the Matildas to unimaginable heights over the last decade.
What to expect, in a footballing sense, from tonight’s match-up.
Let’s do this!