The Matildas keep soaring but the league, and players, beneath them are being left behind

The Matildas, Australia’s women’s soccer side, have become one of the nation’s most beloved teams, filling stadiums, breaking TV records^[1] and driving unprecedented growth at grassroots level.

Federal government data reveals 21,000 additional women and girls^[2] have taken up football since the 2023 World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

But while support for the national team continues to rise, the professional league sitting directly underneath is struggling.

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) recently released its 2024/25 A-League Women’s Report^[3]. It suggests the domestic game isn’t keeping up with Australia’s growing passion for women’s football.

Produced annually by the players’ union, it reflects players’ realities on and off the field, and offers a detailed view of the league’s overall condition.

What the PFA report revealed

The PFA’s findings are confronting. They paint a picture of a league dangerously out of alignment with the expectations of fans, the standards of the global game, and the success of its own national team.

Key findings include:

• crowd numbers for A-League Women (ALW) are falling, with average attendance down 26% this season
• most players are not on full-time contracts, with 62% working a second job and 76% reporting their financial situation is “not at all” or “only slightly” secure
• players ranked the ALW as the least preferred league to play in when compared with overseas competitions
• mental health concerns are increasing, with 67% of players reporting sport-related psychological distress.

These are not the indicators of a league benefiting from a World Cup legacy^[4]. They are signs of a league that has been unable to match the rapid growth of interest in women’s football.

The growing gap between the Matildas and the ALW

The Matildas are a powerful symbol of equality, professionalism and excellence.

They secured equal pay in 2019^[5], train and compete in world-class facilities and enjoy strong media attention and passionate fan support.

This is the version of women’s football that Australia has embraced.

However, the domestic game is a different reality.

Many ALW players juggle training with secondary jobs and the standard of facilities varies significantly across the league. Adding to this gap, fewer Matildas now play in the ALW, with many moving overseas for full-time careers.

These conditions not only weaken the league but also make it harder for fans and commercial partners to build meaningful connections with players.

According to the PFA report, only 38% of ALW players were involved in at least three commercial appearances this season, compared with 57% of A-League Men athletes – a disparity driven largely by players’ restricted availability under part-time contracts.

The result is a domestic environment that struggles to meet the level of accessibility, visibility and professionalism that contemporary audiences have come to expect.

The Asian Cup is a second chance

The 2023 Women’s World Cup generated significant momentum, some of which was harnessed through Football Australia’s Legacy ’23 program^[6], which directed funding into community facility upgrades and helped drive increased participation.

But the heart of any football ecosystem is its domestic league. That’s where progress has stalled.

Australia’s hosting of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup in March is a vital opportunity to revive the ALW.

Yet the danger is obvious. If the tournament amounts to a few weeks of packed stadiums and fan-zone buzz, only for everything to return to normal afterwards, the game will fall into the same post-World Cup slump.

3 opportunities to turn the ALW around

1. Move decisively toward full-time professionalism

The global women’s football transfer market is expanding rapidly, with spending reaching A$23.7 million in 2024 and projected to double in 2025^[7]. Australia captures only about 1% of that activity.

Without professional conditions, the ALW will continue to lose players to leagues offering greater stability, higher salaries and clearer development pathways. Moving toward full-time professionalism is essential for retaining talent, protecting player welfare and ensuring the league’s long-term sustainability.

2. Use the Asian Cup to capitalise on Matildas momentum

A big part of why the Matildas are so connected with the public is their visibility. They show up in the media, in communities and across social platforms, which makes them accessible in a way fans value.

The Asian Cup is a chance to bring that same visibility to the domestic competition. During the tournament, ALW clubs and players should be front and centre in host-city events, in schools and in communities.

3. Structural reform to unlock long-term planning

Nearly 61% of ALW players want an independent commission running the league. The current model places most decision-making power with club owners, which makes it extremely difficult to develop a long-term, competition-wide strategy for women’s football.

Research across women’s leagues^[8] shows stability, strategic independence and clear investment mandates are what allow competitions to flourish.

Women’s football in Australia needs a governance model that can think ten years ahead, not just react to the next fixture list.

A legacy to build or another cycle to be repeated?

Australia has already proven it loves women’s football. The crowds, the participation numbers and the passion around the Matildas make that clear.

But the PFA report shows we are failing to back up that enthusiasm in the domestic league that shapes and supports players’ careers.

The Asian Cup will give women’s sport another moment in the spotlight, but turning that into something lasting depends entirely on the decisions made afterward.

References

1. ^{^} breaking TV records (www.news.com.au)
2. ^{^} 21,000 additional women and girls (www.health.gov.au)
3. ^{^} 2024/25 A-League Women’s Report (pfa.net.au)
4. ^{^} a World Cup legacy (theconversation.com)
5. ^{^} secured equal pay in 2019 (www.abc.net.au)
6. ^{^} Legacy ’23 program (footballaustralia.com.au)
7. ^{^} with spending reaching A$23.7 million in 2024 and projected to double in 2025 (pfa.net.au)
8. ^{^} Research across women’s leagues (doi.org)