The story of Australian football is the story of multicultural Australia.
Football Australia is proud of the important role we play in celebrating, engaging and strengthening multicultural communities. Together with our Member Federations, the A-Leagues, the Australian Government, and other non-government organisations, football connects communities and unites Australians of all backgrounds.
Football Unites tells the multicultural story of Australian football, from the very beginnings of the sport in Australia to the diversity of football participants all around the country today. From the grassroots to the elite – including the CommBank Socceroos and CommBank Matildas, who represent the best of modern multicultural Australia on the world stage – ours is a multicultural game. This story includes dedicated programs for multicultural communities, offering new Australians a community and a pathway to football participation and employment.
You can read the Football Unites paper HERE.
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The numbers tell a powerful story:
- Our CommBank Socceroos and CommBank Matildas squads for the most recent men’s and women’s World Cups respectively included over 25 different cultural backgrounds.
- The 2026 CommBank Socceroos squad was one of the most diverse squads at the world’s biggest sporting event, representing Australia with pride and uniting a nation – their matches attracted a cumulative Australian television audience of over 17 million people.
- More than 215,000 football participants nationwide were born overseas, representing over 220 distinct cultural backgrounds.
- Our multicultural community programs foster belonging, connection, and lasting education and employment opportunities for more than 7,500 participants, and engage with nearly 50,000 people through family and community events.
- Australia celebrates diversity by hosting some of the world’s biggest international football events, including the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in March – the most successful edition of that tournament yet, with more than 350,000 fans attending matches.
As we look ahead, the football community will continue to partner with governments and other stakeholders to engage, support, and celebrate multicultural Australia at every level of the game.
