Association football in Australia
The Australian national team playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, May 2006.
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| Country | Australia |
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| Governing body | Football Federation Australia |
| National team | Australia national soccer team |
| Nickname(s) | Socceroos |
| First played | 1880 |
| Clubs | 14,021 |
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National competitions
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Club competitions
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International competitions
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Audience records
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| Single match |
114,000, Spain vs Cameroon, 30 September 2000, Stadium Australia (National Teams) |
114,000, Spain vs Cameroon, 30 September 2000, Stadium Australia (National Teams)
Soccer, also known as football, is the most played outdoor team sport in Australia, and ranks in the top ten for television audience. The national governing body of the sport is Football Federation Australia (FFA), which organises the A-League, W-League, and FFA Cup, as well as the men's and women's national teams (known as the Socceroos and the Matildas, respectively). The FFA comprises nine state and territory member federations, which oversee the sport within their respective region.
Modern soccer was introduced in Australia in the late 19th century by mostly British immigrants. The first club formed in the country, Wanderers, was founded on 3 August 1880 in Sydney, while the oldest club in Australia currently in existence is Balgownie Rangers, formed in 1883 in Wollongong. Wanderers were also the first known recorded team to play under the Laws of the Game. A semi-professional national league, the National Soccer League, was introduced in 1977. The NSL was replaced by a fully professional league, the A-League, in 2004, which has contributed to a rise in popularity in the sport. Australia was a founding member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) before moving to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2006.
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