参考消息

Football Australia (FA) has officially recommended the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup to take place from March 1 to 21 in Australia,

The decisions were announced following the 3rd AFC Women's Football Committee meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday, said the release.

Wu Chengshu (L) of China passes the ball during a 2022 EAFF (East Asian Football Federation) E-1 Football Championship women's match between China and South Korea at Kashima Soccer Stadium in Kashima City in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, July 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

The tournament will be hosted across the Gold Coast, Perth and Sydney, in Australia's states of Queensland, Western Australia (WA) and New South Wales (NSW), respectively.

Five venues have been selected, namely Stadium Australia and Western Sydney Stadium in NSW, Gold Coast Stadium in Queensland, and Perth Rectangular Stadium and Perth Stadium in WA.

All decisions will require formal ratification by the AFC Executive Committee to take effect, with the meeting due to take place on December 3, said the FA.

FA chief executive James Johnson said that Australia is set to deliver a tournament that will inspire players and fans.

"We are immensely proud to bring the AFC Women's Asian Cup to Australia in 2026. Hosting this premier event reinforces Australia's commitment to growing women's football and celebrating the incredible talent within the Asian football community," he said.

Australia was awarded hosting rights for the tournament by the AFC Executive Committee in May 2024.

Australia previously hosted the Women's Asian Cup in 2006 when the country's national team lost to China in the final on penalties.