OFFICIAL MEDIA GUIDE OF AUSTRALIA AT THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL 0

FOOTBALL IN AUSTRALIA
Football in Australia has its roots in the early colonial days, with the first known match played between Wanderers
and King's School at the Parramatta Common in Sydney. The match, played 14 August 1880 in front of almost 1000
spectators, ended in a 5-0 win to the Wanderers.
The first international match took place 42 years later, against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand. Australia lost 1-3 in
Dunedin in June 1922.
Since then, and especially over the past 40 years, the sport of football has grown extensively in the country,
cumulating with participation levels – especially for juniors – at an all-time high for any football code.
Out of a total population of 23 million people, latest survey data shows that Australia has more than one million
football participants, including well over 600,000 players officially registered with affiliated federations,
incorporating junior, amateur, school, futsal, church and contract players.
At the elite end of the scale, Australia regularly competes for a berth in the men’s and women’s World Cups, and the
Olympic Games. Additionally, the various age-restricted continental championships throughout the diverse Asian
Football Confederation provide elite players from all ages significant opportunities to gain international experience
and exposure.
The code has one of the most respected talent identification systems and youth development programs of any sport
in Australia, culminating with the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. The National Youth League and National
Youth Championships are more examples of the pathways that continue to lead to the production of champion
men's and women's players.
Since the early 1900s, the country’s elite football clubs competed in the various state leagues. In 1977, football was
the first code in Australia to adopt a national league. In 2005 a vibrant and brand new national competition – the
Hyundai A-League – was launched, attracting historically large crowds and a significant national TV audience.
The domestic competition and development programs have combined to establish Australia as a major exporter on
the world soccer stage, with many Australians featuring in top leagues throughout the world. The ongoing return of
current and former national team players to take up renewed playing careers in the A-League demonstrates the full
cycle of the investment in Australian talent.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) is the governing body for football in Australia and is a member of Fédération
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the international governing body for football. FIFA is made up of more
than 200 other national associations, each of which are within one of six continental confederations. FFA has been a
member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since joining the body on January 1 2006.
Australia's long-sought entry into the AFC brought enormous benefits to the game, adding a new dimension that
seemed a dream just ten years ago.
The FFA has an overall responsibility to administer, develop and promote football in Australia through its state and
territory membership. Each of these governing bodies has a commitment to comply with the FFA constitution,
applicable statutes, by-laws and regulations, and are responsible for the game within their region.
Football Federation Australia is specifically responsible for the:
– senior national men’s team (Socceroos)
– under 23 national men’s team (Under 23s)
– under 20 national men’s youth team (Young Socceroos)
– under 17 national men’s youth team (Joeys)
– senior national women's team (Westfield Matildas)
– under 20 national women's team (Westfield Young Matildas)
– under 17 national women's team (Westfield Women's Under 17s)
– national men’s indoor (futsal) team (Futsalroos)
– national paralympic football team (Pararoos)
FFA's long-term vision is to establish Australia as a truly world-class football nation. In order to achieve this vision,
FFA's business operations are structured across three core strategic pillars:
– National Teams & Elite Player Development,
– A-League & Competitions, and
– Football Community.
OFFICIAL MEDIA GUIDE OF AUSTRALIA AT THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL 74