The Subway Socceroos will return home to Australia for the first time since their history-making feats at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, when they host Ecuador at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on Friday, 24 March (8.00pm AEDT kick-off) and Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Tuesday, 28 March (7.30pm AEDT kick-off) as part of a two-match “Welcome Home” Series.
- Sydney and Melbourne to host celebration matches against Ecuador
- Tickets start at $10 for Juniors, $15 for Concessions and $20 for Adults
With most of the Subway Socceroos’ squad returning to their respective club sides around the world straight after the Round of 16 match against Argentina, the March FIFA International window will be the first time the squad has been able to come home to Australia to celebrate with family, friends, and fans.
“What the Subway Socceroos achieved in Qatar both on and off the pitch was history-making and truly united the nation like no other team could, so it’s fantastic Australian football fans finally get the opportunity to celebrate with the team on home soil with these two matches against Ecuador,” expressed Football Australia CEO James Johnson.
“Part of creating the right environment for national team success for us means replicating tournament football by playing higher-ranked opponents and world class teams on a more regular basis.
“Ecuador is another team which competed at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year and has good World Cup pedigree. This follows our announcement last week that the Subway Socceroos will take on England later this year in October. These are the types of matches we will seek to secure for the Subway Socceroos in this next FIFA World Cup cycle and as the team moves towards the upcoming AFC Asian Cup.
“During the FIFA World Cup, we witnessed unrivalled scenes of support with live sites across the country led by Melbourne and Sydney, so it’s only fitting those two cities host these matches, where we look forward to celebrating together.
“Football Australia would like to thank both the NSW Government and Victorian Government for their continued support of Australian football and our senior national football teams. Without the support of such committed event partners over many years, hosting international matches such as these would not be possible,” concluded Johnson.
Subway Socceroos’ Head Coach Graham Arnold said this homecoming series is an opportunity for Australian football and football fans to finally celebrate together the achievements of this team in Qatar.
“It’s fantastic we get this opportunity to gather again as a squad and reflect upon what we achieved at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” Arnold said.
“Throughout the FIFA World Cup, we saw the incredible support the team was receiving back in Australia, and we are very much looking forward to finally celebrating together.”
Subject to availability, Arnold plans to call up a similar looking squad to that which represented Australia with such distinction in Qatar, whilst acknowledging that this series also presents a strong test on the park for the Subway Socceroos, whose quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 starts this November and the AFC Asian Cup™ in early 2024.
“Selection for these two matches is our way of showing our gratitude for what the players sacrificed during the qualifying campaign and their achievements at the World Cup. As further reward, these players will be given the first opportunity to impress the coaching staff and get on the blank selection sheet as we move forward into the next cycle,” concluded Arnold.
NSW Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the match would be a fantastic opportunity for football fans to come together to cheer on their local heroes.
“Sydney is celebrating football in a big way, so it is fantastic that the Subway Socceroos will be playing their first home game since the FIFA World Cup 2022TM right here in the Harbour City,” Mr Franklin said.
“Sydney certainly has football fever, and we can’t wait to welcome the players, officials and fans to CommBank Stadium for this exciting match.”
NSW Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said NSW has a huge participation and supporter base for football.
“We recently welcomed home the CommBank Matildas for the Cup of Nations tournament across NSW and later this year Sydney will host the most games of any city for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM including the final,” Mr Henskens said.
“International football is front of mind for Sydney and NSW right now and it is a privilege to see our national teams play in our state, uniting fans in celebration and inspiring players of all levels and demographics.”
Victoria Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said: “Melbourne is set to host the Socceroos for a homecoming game in front of a packed Marvel Stadium, giving fans the chance to cheer on the team that achieved Australia’s best ever FIFA World Cup™ performance.”
“Our major events calendar is packed with show-stopping events because they attract visitors to the nation’s sporting capital while supporting local businesses and jobs.”
Tickets for the Subway Socceroo’ Welcome Home Series will go on sale to Football Account holders at 9.00 am AEDT Friday, 3 March 2023, and to the General Public from 9.00 am AEDT on Monday, 6 March 2023. Tickets will start at $10 for Juniors and $20 for Adults with Concessions starting at $15.
Football Australia can confirm that $1 from every ticket sold for both matches will be donated to the CommBank Pararoos. The CommBank Pararoos are Australia’s national men’s football team for athletes with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, or symptoms acquired from a stroke.
READ MORE: How to buy tickets for Australia v Ecuador
SUBWAY SOCCEROOS’ WELCOME HOME SERIES – MATCH SCHEDULE
Match Day One
Date: Friday, 24 March 2023
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Time: 8.00 pm AEDT
Tickets: https://premier.ticketek.com.au
Broadcast: Live on 10 in Sydney and Melbourne, 10 Bold in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth, and on 10 Play and Paramount+.
Match Day Two
Date: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Venue: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Time: 7:30 pm AEDT
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/
Broadcast: Live on 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+