Australia have become the first country to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ with the 2023 co-hosts and semi-finalists reaching the global showpiece for the ninth successive edition. The Matildas secured their berth thanks to a 2-1 win over Korea DPR that took them into the semi-finals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, which Australia is hosting and serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2027 global showpiece.

The tenth FIFA Women’s World Cup™ will feature 32 teams and is due to take place between 24 June and 25 July in Brazil next year. “There’s nothing like the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Only 32 teams earn the chance to step onto the biggest stage in women’s sport, and that moment represents years of belief, sacrifice and hard work. These players wore the Australia shirt with such pride – this is the realisation of a dream – this moment belongs to them,” said Jill Ellis, FIFA Chief Football Officer. “Being here in Australia, you can feel the energy around the women’s game. The football has been world-class, and the passion from the fans shows just how much the game has grown. The level of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup continues to rise every year, and you can see how much qualifying means to these teams. The players and staff should be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved, and I wish them every success as they continue their journey towards 2027.”

This year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which will be replaced by a standalone qualifying tournament for the expanded 48-team FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2031, will determine all of the AFC’s six automatic qualifiers. The four semi-finalists will claim a spot while the beaten quarter-finalists will have a play-in tournament to decide the remaining two automatic places. The two teams that miss out at that stage will still have the opportunity via the FIFA Play-Off Tournament later this year to join what FIFA President Gianni Infantino called the “unforgettable party” at the first FIFA Women’s World Cup held in South America.