Canberra is in danger of being priced out of the Matildas market for the foreseeable future as fears grow about the capital's ability to compete with the bigger states and venues competing for content.
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As fans gathered in Civic to watch the Matildas play against England in a World Cup semi-final, the ACT government said it was still keen to lure one-off elite soccer matches to Canberra in the coming years.
The government withdrew from Australia's bid to host the World Cup because it decided it wouldn't get "bang for our buck" given the per-match fee was set at about $1 million by FIFA.
Instead, the government said it would invest in the $33.5 million Home of Football at Throsby, which will be Canberra United's training centre and a community facility for Capital Football when it eventually opens.
It also said it preferred to pay for one-off Matildas or Socceroos friendly matches because it would be able to generate more revenue than was possible from being part of the World Cup.
But the Matildas popularity has exploded over the past month, capturing the attention of the nation and the biggest television audiences for events in more than 20 years.
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That is set to prompt Football Australia to increase the asking price for any Matildas matches going forward, with NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia expected to bid for games.
That puts Canberra - which hosted a Matildas v New Zealand match last year - at a disadvantage given it doesn't have the financial resources of the bigger states.
"Canberra hosted the Matildas in April 2022 with a crowd of just over 13,000, and we will explore opportunities for future matches with FA," a government spokesperson said.
"We cannot bid for every single sporting event and we need to distribute the limited available funding across the widest possible range of sports.
"The government has a clear framework for investment in sporting content."
FA officials will look to capitalise on the Matildas success this tournament. They have set record television audience numbers and have packed out crowds.
With the Matildas bandwagon gathering steam, states and venues will be competing for any sort of Matildas content at least until the next World Cup in 2027.
But that doesn't mean Canberra will miss out altogether. In the past, friendlies against lowly-ranked nations have been up for grabs for Canberra because organisers see them as suitable for Canberra Stadium, and bigger states don't see any economic benefits of small crowds.
The government says its first priority is to invest in Canberra's existing men's and women's teams in national competitions, then international content and, lastly, "value for money bids" on World Cups or regional competitions.
The spokesperson said investing in the Home of Football, Canberra United and a possible A-League Men's licence was more important than being a part of the World Cup.
"These are the kind of long-term legacies for Canberra that far outweigh a handful of World Cup games," the spokesperson said.
The A-League Men's bid is working to secure a financial backer in the coming months before being granted a spot in the competition from 2024-25.
The A-League Women's competition will expand to a full home-and-away schedule for the first time in history when the next season begins in October.
As revealed by The Canberra Times earlier this month, the Australian Professional Leagues are pushing for federal government funding of more than $12 million to help the A-League Women capitalise on the Matildas' magical Women's World Cup run.
The APL's submission aims for $10.2 million of investment from the league and clubs to be matched by $12.2 million from the federal government.
Plans include expansion of the ALW, signing Matildas marquee players, boosting broadcast deals and putting on major events including all-star games.
There is also a push for a professional development fund and creating pathways for female coaches, along with greater engagement with community football.
"We're not asking for outlandish things," APL chief executive Danny Townsend said.
"There's commitments to a stadium in Tasmania for AFL to the tune of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.
"We're not asking for anywhere near that to shore up the future of the biggest participation sport in the country that is enjoying a moment in the sun on the global stage like no other for women's sport in its history.
"Our ask is genuine, it's authentic in the way we've gone about it. And the feedback we've got from the politicians is everything in that submission makes perfect sense and should be delivered as part of this legacy.
"But that commitment is something we haven't had confirmed to this point."
Townsend said the league's absence from promised funding to date was a "glaring omission".
"It should be concerning to all those people that are supporting the Matildas," he said.
"Because every one of those Matildas has come through the development pathway that is the A-League Women, and to compromise that pathway through a lack of funding is a concern."
The league has already expanded to a full home-and-away season and 12 teams but Townsend said "this type of investment in the women's game can transform it".
"The A-League Women is a top-10 league in the world at the moment, arguably top-five league in the world," he said.
"This type of money and investment can make it a top-three league in the world, a genuine destination league for female footballers around the globe.
"The other thing that it will do is shore up the talent pathway for future World Cups so we can ensure that the Matildas continue to be competitive on the world stage."
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