The CommBank Young Matildas will commence a new cycle with the second edition of Football Australia’s PacificAus Sports Four Nations Tournament to be staged this month in Canberra.
Australia’s U-20 Women’s National Team will host the senior women’s national teams of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, alongside the Thailand U-20 Women’s National Team as part of the round-robin competition from 17 February – 26 February 2025.
Proudly supported by the Australian Government through the PacificAus Sports program, this tournament builds on foundations set during the 2022 edition, with the expansion bringing together the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) through women’s football for the first time since successfully co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.
Taking place over three match days during the February FIFA Women’s International Window, the four teams will test themselves against the varying styles of each nation when matches are played at Viking Park and Deakin Stadium.
For the CommBank Young Matildas, it will mark the first assembly of their next cycle. Players born on or after 1 January 2006 are age-eligible for the biennial FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ with the next edition hosted by Poland in 2026.
The road to Poland will commence for the Australian U-20 side in August 2025 with the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Phase 1 Qualifiers, and the final tournament set for April 2026.
Football Australia Head of National Teams, Gary Moretti, said: “We warmly welcome the senior women’s national teams of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, along with the Thailand U-20 Women’s National Team and acknowledge the support of their Member Associations for engaging in this exciting cross-confederation collaboration,” Moretti expressed.
“The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ demonstrated how strategic co-operation between the AFC and OFC can result in a profound impact for the nations involved and women’s football in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a unifying force in the region and presents moments to share and celebrate in a meaningful cultural exchange.
“As the CommBank Young Matildas embark on their next cycle, this first assembly is important in laying down the foundations for the next two years as they work towards qualification for an unprecedented third straight FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™. The PacificAus Four Nations Tournament provides another valuable opportunity to broaden talent identification, enhance match minutes and reward players who have been excelling in their A-League Women’s and National Premier Leagues home environments.
"We extend our gratitude to the Australian Government, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their partnership in this tournament, and look forward to collaborating on more expansive initiatives to support women and girls in the Pacific region," Moretti concluded.
In addition to the on-field action, the visiting teams will participate in cultural engagements, as well as an official tournament dinner to be held at Parliament House.
The PacificAus Sports Four Nations is the latest in a series of engagements led by Football Australia, with the Australian U-23 Men’s, U-17 Men’s and Futsal Men’s National Teams all conducting Pacific Tours during 2024, and a capacity-building Shadowing Program involving football operations professionals from throughout the Pacific during the CommBank Matildas’ matches against Brazil in November 2024.
Ticketing and Broadcast Information
Tickets for all three match days of the Four Nations Tournament will be free, with broadcast details to be announced in the coming weeks.
PACIFICAUS SPORTS FOUR NATIONS TOURNAMENT 2025 | MATCH SCHEDULE
MATCH DAY 1
Australia U-20 v Vanuatu | Thailand U-20 v Solomon Islands |
MATCH DAY 2
Vanuatu v Thailand U-20 | Australia U-20 v Solomon Islands |
MATCH DAY 3
Solomon Islands v Vanuatu | Australia U-20 v Thailand U-20 |
