The road to next year's FIFA Women's World Cup is already underway for the CommBank Matildas as they prepare for a two-match series against Mexico, and for Kaitlyn Torpey, the lessons from the Asian Cup are shaping both her football and her mindset heading into World Cup preparation.
Speaking ahead of Australia’s upcoming two-match series against Mexico, Torpey reflected on the growth she experienced during the Asian Cup on home soil, describing the experience as both surreal and transformative.
"I think it's just perfect preparation for us to go to Brazil, like they're the perfect team, they are really good quality, and I know some of the players there, and they're super passionate and super technical, so it will be really exciting, another challenge for us, and it's a different style of football, so it will be good prep for Brazil,"
The two-match series against Mexico marks the first time the team will be playing on home soil since the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ in March, a tournament where Torpey made a name for herself.
"I'm so excited to be back playing, and I think everyone will be super excited, and yeah, we're needing to focus and get ready for Brazil, because it's gonna, the time's gonna go very quickly now."
After a concussion to Steph Catley in Australia's final group stage game against the Korea Republic, the defender was sidelined, with Torpey stepping up and starting the quarter-final, semi-final and final, impressing in all three starting performances.
"I honestly learned so much about myself on and off the field. It felt like I was going through a midlife crisis or something, but it felt like I really learned everything, a lot of things every single day, and I think the main thing, football-wise, is kind of that I just want to be a bit more creative on the field."
“It was kind of a pinch-yourself moment the whole tournament,” she said. “My favourite memories were after the games, where you could just sit back, look at the crowd and take it all in.”
As competition for places intensifies ahead of next year's FIFA Women's World Cup, Torpey says balancing learning from the players around her has been key to her development inside the Matildas environment.
“I always want to push myself to be playing as much as possible, but I also love learning from the players around me,” she said. “Steph is someone I learn a lot from.”
Torpey also believes the current squad has developed a stronger identity under head coach Joe Montemurro.
“One of the biggest things since Joe’s come in is the buy-in that we have now,” she said. “Everyone feels like we’re on the same page. We want to do the same thing out there, and if something’s not going well, we’re all aligned to fix it.”
With Mexico providing another test in the lead-up to Brazil next year, Torpey says the team are treating every match with tournament intensity.
“The best preparation is to prepare like we’re in a tournament,” she said. “The time’s going to go very quickly now to Brazil.”
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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