Australia will open the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ in front of a packed Perth Stadium on 1 March, taking on the Philippines in a blockbuster tournament opener.
The match will mark Australia’s 35th appearance since joining the AFC in 2006, and the 380th game in the history of the tournament. A capacity crowd of 60,000 is expected to kick off a month-long celebration of the women’s game.
The full stage is now officially set for the Continent’s showpiece of women’s football to be played across Perth, Gold Coast and Sydney, following Tuesday evening’s spectacular Final Draw at the iconic Sydney Town Hall.
With the path to glory revealed for all 12 contenders, the AFC and Local Organising Committee (LOC) have confirmed the official match schedule — available here.
Returning 20 years after Australia first hosted the tournament in 2006, the 21st edition of the Finals promises to be one of the biggest and most exciting yet.
Spectacular battles to look out for
China PR v Bangladesh: The 23rd debutant team in AFC Women’s Asian Cup history, as well as the only debutant at Australia 2026, Bangladesh arguably could not have asked for a tougher first-ever match as they go up against defending champions and nine-time winners China PR on March 3 at 7pm at the Western Sydney Stadium.
Having registered neither a goal nor a point in their two previous qualifying campaigns prior to the current one, the South Asians succeeded in remarkable fashion on their third try by winning all three Group C matches to seal their berth in style and will not be cowed come March despite being the lowest FIFA-ranked side of the 12 teams.
At the other end of the spectrum, powerhouses China PR are gunning for back-to-back crowns after ending a 16-year title drought in 2022, which would also extend their record haul to 10 trophies. This will be their 16th Finals appearance—achieved in consecutive fashion—and the Steel Roses are also the only side to have never placed outside of the top four.
DPR Korea v Uzbekistan: Two teams making long-awaited returns to the Continent’s biggest stage will go head-to-head on March 3 as the Western Sydney Stadium provides the backdrop for the 1pm kick-off between DPR Korea and Uzbekistan.
Set for their 11th Finals involvement but the first since 2010, three-time champions DPR Korea (2001, 2003, 2008) will relish their chances of claiming another crown and can call on talent from their youth teams, who won the most recent FIFA Women’s World Cup trophies at both U17 and U20 level.
For Uzbekistan, qualification for a sixth time and first since 2003 was confirmed in dramatic fashion—via a penalty shoot-out against Nepal as the final group tiebreaker—and continues a recent resurgence for the 2022 CAFA Championship winners and 2022 Asian Games semi-finalists.
Openers by venue
Five world-class stadiums across three vibrant cities will provide the backdrop for the thrilling showdowns in Australia: two each in Perth and Sydney, and the remaining venue in Gold Coast.
A day after the opening match, the Gold Coast Stadium welcomes Korea Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran on March 2 for the second encounter in Group A at 7pm. Located in the heart of Robina, the design of the 28,000-capacity venue reflects the region’s famed coastal identity. It will host three more Group Stage fixtures thereafter as well as the two crucial Play-off matches on March 19 that feature the four defeated Quarter-finalists, with the winners qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027.
The first match to take place at the Western Sydney Stadium is between Group B pair DPR Korea and Uzbekistan on March 3, scheduled to begin at 1pm. Located in Parramatta, the picturesque 30,000-seater venue will also host a further five Group Stage matches.
On March 4, the Perth Rectangular Stadium hosts its first match of the tournament —a 1pm battle between Japan and Chinese Taipei in Group C. This state-of-the-art venue, with a capacity of 19,500 spectators, will stage five thrilling Group Stage encounters, culminating in two Quarter-final clashes on March 13 and 14.
Stadium Australia swings into action on International Women’s Day on March 8 when it hosts Australia’s final Group A fixture against Korea Republic at 8pm. The 79,500-seater stadium, the largest of the five venues, will then host two Quarter-final matches on March 14 and 15, a Semi-final on March 18, and the ultimate face-off—the Final on March 21 at 8pm.
*All timings indicated are in respective local times.
AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Final Draw results
Group A: Australia, Korea Republic, IR Iran, Philippines
Group B: DPR Korea, China PR, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan
Group C: Japan, Vietnam, India, Chinese Taipei
