50th Anniversary celebrated for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup
The countdown to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ reached another milestone today, as the tournament celebrates 50 years since the very first AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ kicked off in Hong Kong on 25 August 1975, establishing the tournament as the oldest official international women’s football competition in the world.
Asia has long been a pioneer in the women’s game; we didn’t just join the global rise of women’s football, we are leaders in building it. Long before women’s football became a global movement, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ was leading the way and is a proud symbol of Asia’s trailblazing role in elevating the women’s game.
Over five decades, the competition has become a crucial platform for talent development across the continent, with eight Asian nations currently ranked inside the top 50 of FIFA’s Women’s World Ranking.
What began as the Asian Cup Ladies Football Tournament in Hong Kong, China in 1975, featuring just six teams, has evolved into a global showcase of talent with 12 nations now set to compete in the upcoming 21st edition, across Perth, Gold Coast and Sydney from 1–21 March 2026.
In the first iteration of the games, Pat O’Connor captained the First Matildas to a third-place finish in the inaugural tournament in 1975. The grit, determination and pioneering spirit of that squad laid the foundations for women’s football in Australia to grow into what it is today and remains the true embodiment of Dream Fearless - breaking barriers, challenging expectations, and inspiring a legacy that continues to shape the game.
Speaking about her memories of representing Australia in those 1975 games, she reflected on just how far women's football had come: "When we pulled on the jersey back in 1975, we could never have imagined how far the women’s game would come and the scale of what the AFC Women’s Asian Cup would grow into. To see the Matildas inspiring the nation today, and to have this tournament here on home soil next year, is incredibly special. I feel so proud to have been part of the foundations of something that has grown into such a global spectacle, and I can’t wait to see the 2026 edition showcase the very best of women’s football to Australia and the world.”
AFC Women's Asian Cup Champion and Chief Operating Officer of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Local Organising Committee, Sarah Walsh, also mirrored these comments, giving praise to those who came before, and indicating her optimism for the future of the tournament.
"As we celebrate 50 years of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, it’s incredible to see how far the women’s game has come and how much excitement there already is for 2026. This tournament has an extraordinary history, from those trailblazers of the inaugural tournament, including the 1975 Matildas, who showed what Dream Fearless truly means, through to the global spectacle it has become today."
In unison with this anniversary, it was also announced that highly anticipated single-match tickets will go on sale on Friday, 5 September for an exclusive Visa Pre-sale with prices from $20 for adults and $10 for children.
Fans are encouraged to sign-up for priority access to these tickets here.
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