Football Australia has today confirmed the Subway Socceroos will face Palestine at HBF Park, Perth on Tuesday, 11 June 2024 in what will be their final Second Round FIFA World Cup 2026™ Qualifier.
The match signifies the Subway Socceroos return to Perth for the first time since 2016, having last appeared at HBF Park during a 2-0 victory over Iraq on their way to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018.
The Subway Socceroos will be aiming to secure their place in the Third Round of qualification, taking them one step closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and a sixth consecutive appearance at international football’s showpiece event, being hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Football Australia CEO, James Johnson was looking forward to seeing the Subway Socceroos return to Western Australia.
“This has been a long time coming and we’re so pleased to confirm this match against Palestine at HBF Park,” Johnson said.
“Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic saw a previously scheduled match in 2020 cancelled and since that time, we’ve been working closely with the Western Australian Government through Tourism Western Australia to bring international men’s football back to Perth.
“We know what a strong football community we have in Western Australia, and saw just how passionate they are about our national teams during the CommBank Matildas recent Olympic Qualifiers. We’ve got no doubt that the Subway Socceroos will be welcomed in the same fashion, as they strive for FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualification.
“The Western Australian Government have demonstrated its commitment to football at all levels and has proven time and again its desire to deliver events of the highest quality. We’re extremely appreciative of our partnership and thank them for their ongoing support of our game,” Johnson concluded.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Socceroos/status/1767354857814659445
Western Australia Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Rita Saffioti MLA said she was very excited to be adding yet another major international football fixture to WA’s calendar of events and was very proud to be hosting the upcoming qualifier in Perth, to support the Socceroos’ journey to the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
“West Australians show up in droves to support our national teams when they come to Perth, which – combined with our state-of-the-art sporting facilities – is what makes us such an attractive host of these events,” Saffioti said.
“Hosting high-profile sporting matches and major events like this FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifier strengthens our reputation as one of the sporting capitals of the southern hemisphere and will build on the legacy of football in this state.”
Subway Socceroos’ Head Coach, Graham Arnold said his squad would relish the opportunity to play in Perth at HBF Park.
“We love any chance to play in front of a home crowd and it’ll be great to be back to Western Australia for the first time in eight years,” Arnold said.
“HBF Park is a fantastic football venue that will provide a great atmosphere for this match against Palestine. I often speak about the energy that our home fans bring to these sorts of games and just how much it can benefit the players.
“As a group we’ve set high standards throughout the qualification process, and we’re looking to finish the Second Round in the strongest way possible,” concluded Arnold.
During the Second Round – which doubles as direct qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup 2027™ in Saudi Arabia – the Subway Socceroos will play against Bangladesh, Lebanon and Palestine in a home-and-away round-robin format, between November 2023 and June 2024. Should Australia finish Group Winner or Group Runners-Up, they will directly qualify for the next AFC Asian Cup™.
To find out all the latest information on fixtures, results and Second Round Qualification updates please click here.
Ticket information for Perth: Tickets for this match start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $25 Adult, and $50 Family, with a Football Account Pre-Sale at 10:00am AWST on Wednesday, 13 March 2024 and General Public On-Sale at 10am AWST on Thursday, 14 March 2024 via Ticketmaster.
Football Account is the official account for football fans in Australia. Football Account provides access to exclusive content, special offers and discounts including access to ticket pre-sales, discounts to Australian National Team matches, and exclusive merchandise offers. Fans can register their account here.
The Subway Socceroos FIFA World Cup 2026™ Qualifiers will be broadcast live thanks to Football Australia’s broadcast partner, 10 Paramount.
Subway Socceroos v Palestine
Tuesday, 11 June 2024
HBF Park, Perth
Kick-off: TBC
Tickets: Start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $25 Adult, and $50 Family. Tickets from Ticketmaster.
Football Account Pre-Sale: 10.00am AWST on Wednesday, 13 March 2024.
General Public On-Sale: 10.00am AWST Thursday, 14 March 2024.
Broadcast: 10 Paramount
