Matildas Drawn into Asian Olympic Qualifying Group A
Australia faces Japan, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan in the bid for a place at the LA28 Olympic Games.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Olympics
The Matildas were placed in Group A with Japan, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan in the draw for next year's Asian Olympic qualifiers, held in Malaysia. Only the top team from each group earns a direct berth at LA28, while second-placed teams contest a play-off.
Why it matters
The group placement sets the path to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where women's football is open-aged. Japan, who beat the Matildas 1-0 in the AFC Women's Asian Cup final in Sydney earlier this year, is a major hurdle, with the Matildas not having beaten Japan in a competitive fixture for over a decade.
Only the group winner in each Asian qualifying group clinches a direct Olympic berth, with second-placed teams contesting a play-off against each other. The play-off winner then faces Argentina for the final remaining Olympic spot.
The players
Matildas
Australia's national women's football team, which has competed at multiple FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic-qualifying campaigns.
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
The world governing body for association football, which is reportedly petitioning the International Olympic Committee over the age limits for women's Olympic football.
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
The governing body of the modern Olympic Games, which would determine any change to age eligibility for Olympic football.
The details
The draw for next year's Asian Olympic qualifiers was conducted in Malaysia, placing the Matildas in Group A alongside Japan, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan. Separately, FIFA is reportedly petitioning the IOC to restrict women's Olympic football to under-23 players.
Timeline
1996: Women's Olympic football became open-aged.
Earlier in 2026: Japan beat the Matildas 1-0 in the AFC Women's Asian Cup final.
12 November 2026: Asian Olympic qualifying draw held in Malaysia.
Later in November 2026: Matildas play a two-match friendly series against Colombia.
April 2027: The Matildas' Olympic qualifying bid begins.
Season Trajectory
The women's Olympic football age rule has been open since 1996, when the men's under-23 restriction with three overage players was the model. A move to restrict women's eligibility to under-23 players, possibly from the 2032 Brisbane Games, would reverse that open-age framework.
Fans planning to follow the Matildas can track the Colombia friendlies in November 2026 before the qualifying campaign starts in April 2027. Only the group winners secure a direct Olympic place, so every qualifying match carries weight.
The takeaway
Japan is the central obstacle for the Matildas in Group A, and beating them in a competitive fixture would be a meaningful step after more than a decade without a win. The outcome of the qualifying campaign will determine whether Australia reaches the Los Angeles Olympics.
What happens next
The Matildas play a two-match friendly series against Colombia later in November 2026, and their Olympic qualifying bid begins in April 2027.
Further reading
For more on the road to the Games, see Olympics coverage.
