CommBank Matildas defender Winonah Heatley stressed the importance of the upcoming two-game series against Mexico as key preparation ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™.
Heatley was speaking in Sydney, where the team are training before the opening game in Newcastle on Saturday evening.
“We've really switched a tack, and we are preparing for the World Cup, so it's definitely not just a friendly for us,” she said.
“We want to prepare, and we want to put our best foot forward for the World Cup in a year. Of course, they [Mexico] will have some extra fight [preparing for World Cup qualification], but that's really good for us.”
The 24-year-old comes into this camp off the back of a successful season with Roma in Italy, winning the Serie A and Coppa Italia double.
“Being able to pick up the double in Italy is something that's very special. With the Asian Cup and our success there as well, it’s been pretty wild to be honest,” she said.
“I'm exposed to a very different playing style in Italy. The more diverse the playing style that you're exposed to, the more experience you gain, and the more I can bring back into this environment.
“There's a lot of internationals in Italy in general, and the speed of play is pretty high. I've heard Mexico is pretty physical, and it's definitely a very physical league in Italy as well. So there are lots of learnings that I like to bring into this environment.”
She explained that a two-game series is a fantastic opportunity to grow and adjust throughout the window.
“A two-game series is a really good opportunity to focus on us,” she said.
“Regardless of whether the first game goes how we want it or not, there's always extra difficulties that come with playing the same team again and having to adjust how you played depending on what went well and what didn't go well, and knowing that they'll probably adjust some things as well. It’s very helpful to play the same team twice.”
Football is at the forefront of fans’ minds at the moment with the Socceroos preparing to compete in the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Heatley said that any tournament is an exciting one as they look ahead to their own World Cup next year.
“Coming off the back of the Asian Cup, and now having the men's World Cup, it keeps football in the media limelight. There’s definitely a lot of hype around it,” she reflected.
“As an athlete, you're always pretty excited to play, no matter what's going on around you. Of course, with our own World Cup coming up next year were pretty excited, and it gives us that extra bit of motivation to do well.”
COMMBANK MATILDAS | JUNE 2026 | MATCH SCHEDULE
CommBank Matildas v Mexico
Date: Saturday, 6 June 2026
Kick-off: 7.15pm AEST
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
TV Broadcast: Network 10, Paramount+
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CommBank Matildas v Mexico
Date: Tuesday, 9 June 2026
Kick-off: 7.00pm AEST
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
TV Broadcast: Paramount+ exclusive
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