February 21 – England’s men’s and women’s teams are to play Australia in a unique international friendly double for charity later this year.
The European champion Lionesses will host Australia’s Matildas in Brentford on April 11 as a warm-up for the World Cup in the summer while the men’s team will play the Socceroos at Wembley on October 13.
Both games will raise funds and awareness for British dementia charity Alzheimer’s Society.
“I imagine there will be a strong Aussie contingent in London for both games. We all know the sporting rivalry between our two countries, and that alone will add an extra edge,” said England’s men coach Gareth Southgate.
Australia and New Zealand jointly stage the 2023 Women’s World Cup in July and August and England women’s head coach Sarina Wiegman said: “Australia will give everything to impress because they are going into a home tournament with big expectation. They will want to show they are in good shape for the finals.”
Football Australia CEO James Johnson commented: “Over the last two years, Football Australia has been dedicated to creating the right environment for national team success.
“This means replicating tournament football by playing higher-ranked opponents on a more regular basis to ensure the best preparation and our teams are peaking come tournament time.”
“Australian football has always enjoyed a strong bond with football in the United Kingdom. Historically, we had a prominent presence of male players throughout the English Premier League and the English Championship. This was followed by a very lean period but today, we have seen a resurgence of Australian footballers, both men and women, plying their trade in leagues across the United Kingdom.”
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