Australia to open FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ following Final Draw

The Commonwealth Bank Young Matildas will face host nation Costa Rica to open the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ at the Estadio Nacional, San Jose on 10 August 2022.   

The Final Draw for the competition took place this morning (Australian time) at the Teatro Nacional in San José, one of the two host cities for the tournament. 

Australia’s Group A schedule will see them also take on South American champions Brazil (13 August) and UEFA’s Spain (16 August).  

Head coach Leah Blayney expressed her anticipation for the tournament following the draw.   

“We’re looking forward to facing Costa Rica in the opening match at the Estadio Nacional.  What an exciting time for women’s football,” Blayney said. 

“We’re going into every match respecting all our opponents and we will now prepare accordingly.” 

“It’s going to be an incredible experience, already during our time in Costa Rica, the people and the community have made us feel welcome.  Returning in August and playing with this atmosphere is going to be very special.” 

The CommBank Young Matildas in their international friendly against New Zealand in Canberra, April 2022. (Photo: Ann Odong / Football Australia)
The CommBank Young Matildas in their international friendly against New Zealand in Canberra, April 2022. (Photo: Ann Odong / Football Australia)

CommBank Young Matildas midfielder Sarah Hunter spoke about looking forward to playing some of the world’s best youth national teams in less than 100 days’ time.   

“The draw makes our participation in the U20 Women’s World Cup feel very real.  Knowing who our opponents are will allow us to fully focus on preparation to be ready for the competition,” Hunter said.    

“Costa Rica as the host nation obviously will have strong support which will make the atmosphere electric.  Being a part of the opening match with them will be an experience for us to remember and a chance to set the tone for the rest of our tournament.   

“Australia and Brazil have a great rivalry in women’s football.  They have such rich history in World Cups, and they will present a wonderful challenge for us, particularly as it will be the first time our group will face a South American nation. 

“Finally, Spain is probably the benchmark for women’s football right now so getting the opportunity to play them at a major tournament is amazing to think about.”   

 Running from 10 to 28 August 2022, the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup features 16 nations drawn into four groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the knockout stages, commencing on 20 August 2022.   

The CommBank Young Matildas were drawn out of Pot 4 which included the Netherlands, Canada and Colombia.  The nations were placed in pots based on their previous showings at recent tournaments.   

GROUP A 

GROUP B 

GROUP C 

GROUP D 

Costa Rica (H)

Germany 

France 

Japan 

Australia 

Colombia 

Nigeria 

Netherlands 

Spain 

New Zealand 

Canada 

Ghana 

Brazil 

Mexico 

Korea Republic 

USA 


2022 will mark the 10th edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup™ with Australia set to make their fourth appearance at the youth championships, reaching the quarter-finals on two occasions (2002, 2004).  The CommBank Young Matildas last appearance was in 2006 with Blayney a member of that squad.   


Australia will continue their preparations for the tournament next week when they assemble for a training camp in Sydney. 
 

SBS Australia will broadcast the Australian matches, semi-finals and the final.  


COMMBANK YOUNG MATILDAS | MATCH SCHEDULE | GROUP A 

Costa Rica v Australia 
Date: Wednesday, 10 August 2022 (local)/ Thursday, 11 August 2022
Venue: Estadio Nacional, San Jose
Kick-Off: 8:00 pm CST (local)/ 12:00pm AEST 
Broadcast: SBS Australia

Brazil v Australia
Date: Saturday, 13 August 2022 (local)/ Sunday, 14 August 2022
Venue: Morera Soto, Alajuela
Kick-Off: 2:00 pm CST (local)/ 6:00am AEST
Broadcast: SBS Australia

Australia v Spain
Date: Tuesday, 16 August 2022 (local)/ Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Venue: Morera Soto, Alajuela
Kick-Off: 8:00 pm CST (local)/ 12:00pm AEST
Broadcast: SBS Australia