Asian Cup venue draw forces NRL, AFL clubs to hit road

The rising popularity of the Matildas looks set to force leading NRL and AFL clubs away from their heartlands at the start of their respective 2026 seasons.

On Wednesday, Football Australia announced five stadiums that will host games at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.

Accor Stadium and CommBank Stadium will host games in Sydney, while Optus Stadium and HBF Park will see games taken to Perth.

Gold Coast's CBUS Super Stadium is the only nominated venue in Queensland in place of Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, which was where the Matildas won their World Cup quarter-final penalty shootout against France.

"Hosting this premier event reinforces Australia's commitment to growing women's football and celebrating the incredible talent within the Asian football community," said FA chief executive James Johnson.

The tournament is due to run from March 1-21, eating into the usual start dates for the AFL and NRL.

It could force several clubs to take early-season fixtures on the road and cause a significant home scheduling backlog.

Perth's two AFL clubs, West Coast and Fremantle, are likely to be inconvenienced by the arrival of the tournament at Optus Stadium.

HBF Park's usage could also have a knock-on effect for the A-League Men's Perth Glory and Super Rugby's Western Force.

Sydney's NRL clubs are expected to be heavily impacted by the use of CommBank Stadium in Parramatta.

The Eels and Western Sydney Wanderers' ALM side are the main tenants, while Wests Tigers use the venue sporadically and Penrith are due to play games there while their stadium undergoes redevelopment.

Homebush's Accor Stadium, which will likely compete with Optus Stadium to host the final, is also used by NRL sides South Sydney and Canterbury.

It remains unclear how long the Asian Football Confederation will demand exclusive access to the venues, which was part of the reason why the MCG was not used during the 2023 World Cup.

The Australian Professional Leagues, who administer the ALM and ALW, have yet to make a decision on whether those competitions will be paused during the Women's Asian Cup.