Football Australia today announced that the CommBank Matildas will host world number five, France, in a ‘Send Off Match’ at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Friday, 14 July 2023.
The fixture, to be held on Bastille Day, will be the final international for the CommBank Matildas prior to commencing their FIFA Women’s World Australia & New Zealand 2023™ campaign against the Republic of Ireland on 20 July.
It will also mark the first time in 22 years that Australia will have faced Les Bleues on home soil.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson said: “We are delighted to be hosting a highly regarded nation like France for the CommBank Matildas ‘Send Off Match’ this July.”
"Our strategy to prepare the CommBank Matildas has focused on playing more top ten ranked teams and with this match, it will mean that in the last two years, we will have played nine out of the top ten teams in the world in the lead up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup™.
“This is an incredible opportunity for the Australian and Victorian fans to attend a final match and fully experience a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ atmosphere before the tournament starts six days later. To be able to witness our iconic national team in one of the world’s most iconic sporting cities will be a truly special occasion not to be missed.
“We acknowledge the tremendous support and partnership of the Victorian Government through its tourism and events company, Visit Victoria, to ensure that Victorians and our supporters are afforded the opportunity to see two top quality women’s football teams ahead of a historic tournament on Australian soil,” Johnson concluded.
For the CommBank Matildas, it is also a return to a happy hunting ground following last November’s 4-0 victory over reigning Olympic silver medalists Sweden at Melbourne’s AAMI Park. The atmosphere and support of the Victorian crowd are one of the key reasons CommBank Matildas’ Head Coach Tony Gustavsson is eagerly anticipating July’s clash.
“To have a ‘Send Off Match’ against a team the calibre of France in a special city like Melbourne, presents a wonderful opportunity for us to be dialled into the significance for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ early,” Gustavsson said.
“A dynamic, technically brilliant team over the years, France have been consistently one of the best nations in the world with incredible quality across all parts of their game. It will be one final challenge for us just days out from our World Cup opener.
“This ‘Send Off Match’ is an essential final piece of our two-year preparations for this tournament on home soil. Playing a big nation and World Cup contender in front of a large and vocal Melbourne crowd will not only provide the team with a send-off they will remember and be inspired by, but it will give us one final taste of what to expect just days later in our opening match against the Republic of Ireland,” Gustavsson concluded.
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said: “We’re backing the Matildas and aspiring footballers by providing state-of-the-art facilities to support women’s football across Victoria.”
“The Matildas’ Send Off Match is another blockbuster major event in Melbourne, providing an opportunity for Victorians to see elite sport in their own backyard.”
Australia and France have met on seven previous occasions with a tied head-to-head (3-1-3). This will be the first meeting between the two nations under Gustavsson’s tenure.
All the coverage, commencing from a pre-match show through to the scheduled kick-off at 7:30 pm AEST, will be broadcast on 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+.
CommBank Matildas vs France Women’s National Team Ticketing Information
Marvel Stadium – Friday, 14 July
Tickets to the encounter will go on pre-sale for Football Account holders on Wednesday, 15 March 2023 from 9:00 am with the General Public tickets window opening on Friday, 17 March 2023 from 9:00 am.
Family-friendly ticket prices include tickets from as little as $45 for football account holders or $50 for the general public for a family of two adults and two children. Individual tickets are available for as little as $9 for junior football account holders.
$1 (plus GST) from every ticket sold will be donated to the CommBank ParaMatildas, Australia's silver medal-winning women’s CP national team for female footballers with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury or symptoms from a stroke. Ticketing information is available from the official CommBank Matildas website at www.matildas.com.au.
Football Account holders are able to access an exclusive pre-sale window with a 10% discount offer. To gain access to exclusive news and the pre-sale, sign up HERE and enable priority ticketing on your account.
CommBank Matildas v France
Date: Friday, 14 July 2023
Venue: Marvel Stadium
Kick-Off: 7:30 pm AEST
Broadcast: 10 Bold, 10 Play and Paramount+
Football Account pre-sale: 9:00 am AEDT on Wednesday, 15 March 2023
General Public on-sale: 9:00 am AEDT on Friday, 17 March 2023
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au
COMMBANK MATILDAS SCHEDULE FOR 2023 (dates based upon AEDT / AEST)
- April 2023: TBC (Europe)
- 12 April 2023: England v CommBank Matildas – Gtech Community Stadium, London (England)
- 14 July 2023: CommBank Matildas v France – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne (Australia)
- 20 July 2023: CommBank Matildas v Rep. of Ireland – Stadium Australia, Sydney (Australia)
- 27 July 2023: CommBank Matildas v Nigeria – Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane (Australia)
- 31 July 2023: Canada v CommBank Matildas – Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne (Australia)