Football Australia will be standing up an Australian Women's National Futsal Team to contest the AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup China 2025™ Qualifiers in January.
With the Philippines - from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) - set to host the maiden FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup™ in late 2025, it presents an opportunity for Football Australia to embark on its own journey of firsts and enter a national team into the AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup™ Qualifiers.
In all, 19 teams - featuring nine debutant nations including Australia - will compete in the Qualifiers as they aim to earn places in the AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup China 2025™.
The Draw for these Qualifiers took place at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 17 October, where teams were drawn into four groups - three groups of five and one group of four - to contest in a centralised league format from 11 - 19 January, 2025.
Australia was drawn in Group C alongside group hosts Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Philippines, and Kuwait.
Nine teams - the top two of each group and the best third-placed team among all groups - will progress to the Finals and join hosts China PR and 2018's top two, Islamic Republic of Iran and Japan.
Upon confirming Australia's participation in the AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup China 2025™ Qualifiers, Football Australia Head of National Teams, Gary Moretti said: "With the inaugural FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup to be hosted in our Confederation, it presents an ideal opportunity to stand up a team to contest these qualifiers and hopefully progress beyond this first phase.
"Whilst we currently do not have an ongoing program for a national women's futsal team, the team's entry into these qualifiers demonstrates our commitment to supporting the elite pathway for women's futsal in Australia," Moretti concluded.
Football Australia has appointed Miles Downie as Head Coach for this qualification campaign, with a selection camp to occur in December.
The match schedule for January's Qualifiers will be announced by the AFC in due course.
Set to take place May 7 - 18, the 2025 AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup™ will mark the third time the tournament has been held, with both prior editions (2015 and 2018) having been won by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
To view further information around the format and qualification for the AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup China 2025™ CLICK HERE.
