Malcolm Turnbull has thrown his government’s support behind Australia’s bid to host football’s 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Australians backed the Matildas campaign at the Rio Olympics and hosting the next tournament would inspire a new generation of female sporting stars across the nation, the prime minister said.
“Wouldn’t it be fantastic to have the Matildas contesting a Women’s World Cup on home soil here in Australia,” he said in Canberra on Tuesday.
The World Cup will bring together 24 nations and is expected to reach a global audience of more than 700 million people.
Mr Turnbull said hosting the tournament would not only reap economic and tourism benefits but prove a boon for women’s sport.
“It is those moments that motivate us, that unite us, that enthrall us, that bring out the best in us, that inspire us all – old and young alike – inspiration, dedication, commitment, teamwork, loyalty,” he said.
Football Federation Australia president Steven Lowy said the cup was the biggest and most prestigious tournament in women’s sport.
“We believe that time is right for Australia to host it as well as win it,” he said.
The trail-blazing Matildas have made the quarter-finals in the last three world cups as well as the Olympics last year.