Perth soccer players, coaches and fans say the Women’s Asian Cup is inspiring a new generation of local female footballers to lace up their boots.

The 2026 event has broken attendance records, with more than 82,000 fans passing through the stadium gates in Perth, Sydney and the Gold Coast so far.

Local fans flocked to Perth Stadium on Tuesday night to see the Matildas beat China 2-1, booking their place in the final against Japan this weekend.

UWA-Nedlands Football Club under-18 player Agatha Coombs has been playing soccer for six years after her mum encouraged her to get into the sport.

Fellow player Georgia Monson has noticed a shift in community attitudes.

“I don’t hear people say that soccer is not a women’s sport anymore,” she says.

“Because of the Asian Cup and the World Cup, everyone has just become so on board, which I really love.”

The 2026 Women’s Asian Cup is the first major women’s soccer tournament Australia has hosted since the 2023 World Cup.

Hamersley Football Club coach Domenic Nardelli says these events show aspiring players what’s possible.

“Having local young players being able to see goalkeepers, like Mackenzie Arnold, or strikers like Hayley Razo, helps carry their dreams forward in football,” he says.

“It inspires young players to follow their dream and pick up the ball and go out and have a kick, knowing that there is a future in women’s football.”

But Mr Nardelli says the lack of pathways for development is a significant barrier and many clubs in Perth are not doing enough.

“I would like to see clubs in general take women’s football seriously,” he said.

“It’s really important to have experienced coaches to develop the players, get them started on the right foot and with the right attitude to give them that inspiration to stay within the sport.”

RMIT University Professor Tracy Taylor researches gender equality and diversity in women’s professional team sports.

“There are often challenges associated with the facilities being adequate for girls and women, like having female change rooms available,” she says.

“The other thing that often comes up is not having dedicated coaches for the women.”

However, Professor Taylor says the sport is on a positive trajectory.

“If we can have a conversation about equity and inclusion for both men and women in sport, then we can raise the baseline up,” she says.

“That means recognising women and men have equal rights to play and that sometimes there may be differences, but they are still worth facilitating.

“As long as the national sports organisations and governing bodies continue to be committed, then part of the battle is already over.”