Excited about the new Matildas documentary on Disney+? Check out these fun facts to learn even more about Australia's women's national football team.
With the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ taking place in Australia and New Zealand, there’s never been a better time to brush up on your knowledge about our own Aussie team.
Better yet, Disney+ has released its Australian Original series, Matildas: The World at Our Feet, which follows the CommBank Matildas on their journey to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.
As one of our country’s most celebrated sport teams, it’s exciting to watch these stars take to the world stage!
Here are six fun facts about the team to get you hyped about the new six-part series and upcoming tournament.
Fun Facts about the Matildas football team
- The team’s name comes from the folk song ‘Waltzing Matilda’.
- The first Australian woman’s team was established in 1978 to participate in the first World Women’s Invitational Tournament.
- In 2007, the CommBank Matildas qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time.
- In 2019, with 20,029 spectators watching them play against Chile, the team set a record for the highest attendance at a standalone women’s football match in Australian history.
- Team captain Sam Kerr is the only female football player to have won the Golden Boot in three different leagues and on three different continents.
- Up until 2008, the team shared the name ‘Socceroos’ with the men’s national football team. Having their own name has cemented the Matildas as their own team with their own skills, rather than sitting in the shadows of their male counterparts.
What Makes a Matilda
If you want to learn even more about the Matildas, check out What Makes a Matilda, a book for readers aged eight and up that explores exactly what it takes to be one of Australia’s top female footballers.
Going back to where it all began, the book follows the journey of our national team from their first international competition to their preparations for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ and everything in between.
From tips to capturing the Matilda spirit to in-depth player profiles, the amazing information inside is sure to delight young football fans.
Love football? See more football books from Puffin, here.
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