Subway Socceroos set new Canberra crowd record

Before a ball has been kicked, the Subway Socceroos have broken the crowd record for a standalone football (soccer) match at GIO Stadium in Canberra, already surpassing 20,032 tickets sold for their FIFA World Cup 2026™ Qualifier against Lebanon this Tuesday, 26 March (7:45pm AEDT).

READ MORE: Our previous matches in Canberra

The previous crowd record for a standalone football match at the venue of 20,032 was set on 5 March 2009, when the Socceroos hosted Kuwait in an AFC Asian Cup 2011™ Qualifier, losing 1-0 on the night.

This crowd record in Canberra on Tuesday, follows a near sell-out at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on Thursday (21 March) when the two teams met in front of over 27,000 fans, demonstrating the pulling power of the Subway Socceroos.

“The Subway Socceroos performances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ gripped the nation, and that passion for the team is reflected in the attendances we’ve seen during this current FIFA men’s international window, with a new crowd record for football at GIO Stadium being set well in-advance of the match,” expressed Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson.

“The Qualifier on Tuesday will be the first time that Canberra has hosted the Australian men’s national football in almost five years, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for football fans from the ACT and further afield to come and experience international football live.

“The popularity and support that the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas receive from fans across the entire country is almost unrivalled when marked against all other Australian national sporting teams, which is driven by the likeability, relatability and inspiring performances of both teams on the global stage,” concluded Johnson.

The all-time ground record for football (soccer) at GIO Stadium stands at 24,800 and that was achieved as part of a double-header for the opening matches of the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics’ football tournament. On 13 September 2000, the venue hosted Australia against Germany in the women’s tournament, followed by USA and Czech Republic, as they were then known, in the men’s tournament.

There are limited tickets still available for Tuesday night’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ Qualifier via Ticketek.

MATCH DETAILS:

Lebanon v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday, 26 March 2024
GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
Tickets: Start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $25 Adult, and $50 Family via Ticketek

Broadcast: 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+