The Matildas will face fifth-ranked France in a final “send off” match before co-hosting the Women’s World Cup with New Zealand.
In an announcement on Tuesday, Football Australia confirmed the Matildas would host France on July 14 at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.
The international friendly will serve as the Matildas’ last hit-out before the team opens its World Cup campaign against Ireland the following week.
READ MORE: Bombers’ secret Hird move to lure in-demand star
READ MORE: Kyrgios derailed by fresh injury setback
READ MORE: Furious Dragons skipper hits out at ‘mole’ claims
Scheduled for Bastille Day, the fixture will mark the first time in 22 years that Australia has played Les Bleus at home.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson said the governing body was delighted to schedule a match with such a “highly regarded nation”.
“Our strategy to prepare the 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,” he said.
“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.”
The two nations have met on seven occasions with a tied head-to-head record of three wins apiece and one draw. However, this meeting will be the Matildas’ first under coach Tony Gustavsson.
“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 the 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.”
The announcement comes a week after Football Australia unveiled fixtures for the Socceroos and Matildas against England.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
In pictures: The FIFA World Cup 2022 final
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
