Australia Cup

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Australia Cup News

Brazil score at the death to deny Socceroos famous win after Irankunda stunner

Danny Lewis · yesterday

Rayan scored a 95th-minute equaliser as Brazil rescued a 1-1 draw against Australia at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium, denying the Socceroos what would have been just a second ever head-to-head victory.

Brazil and Australia meet in double-header as post-World Cup rebuild begins

AFP · 2 days ago

Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil and hosts Australia will use their friendly double-header as the first stage of a rebuilding process following the World Cup.

Australia teen Lucas Herrington ready for Brazil after meteoric rise

Reuters · 3 days ago

Australian teenager Lucas Herrington has been on a remarkable journey in the last nine ⁠months, but this week he is back in Brisbane preparing to face Brazil in two international friendlies and fulfil a ‌childhood dream.

Mohamed Toure 'out for months' and doubtful for Asian Cup

Aaron Murphy · 3 days ago

Starting Socceroos striker Mohamed Toure will undergo shoulder surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation after an awkward fall playing for English Championship club Norwich City last weekend.

Popovic makes ten changes to Socceroos squad for Brazil friendlies

Flashscore · 1 weeks ago

Tony Popovic has named seven uncapped players in a 26-man squad for Australia's two historic friendlies against Brazil in Queensland, whilst three injuries have forced him to make additional changes.

AAMI Park to host Australia Cup final on October 10

Aaron Murphy · 1 weeks ago

Football Australia (FA) confirmed on Thursday afternoon that AAMI Park has been booked in to host the 2026 Australia Cup final between Melbourne Victory and South Melbourne.

Newcastle Jets smashed for seven in first Champions League game in 17 years

Reuters · 1 weeks ago

Kashima Antlers made an eye-catching start to their Asian Champions League Elite ⁠campaign with a 7-1 thrashing of Australia's Newcastle Jets on Tuesday, while Shanghai Port survived a frantic finish to secure ‌a 6-4 win over Ratchaburi.

About Australia Cup

History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage

The Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup, is Australia’s premier national football knockout cup competition. Founded in 2014, this tournament is administered by Football Australia, previously known as Football Federation Australia.

The Australia Cup follows a summer-to-spring schedule, with the competition kicking off in February before concluding in September or November. The tournament begins with a preliminary round featuring over 700 clubs from Australia’s football pyramid. However, the competition proper kicks off with the round of 32.

In previous editions, A-League Men clubs automatically qualified for the round of 32. Currently, only 10 first-division clubs participate: the top eight from the previous A-League season directly qualify, while the bottom four compete in playoffs for two remaining spots (9th vs. 12th and 10th vs. 11th). The remaining 22 participants are made up of Member Federation Clubs, teams from the second tier or below.

The tournament follows a single-elimination format, with matches played as single-leg encounters (the winner advances, and the loser is eliminated). Draws determine match-ups from the round of 32 to the semifinals.

From 2024-25 onwards, the Australia Cup champion qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two. However, New Zealand-based clubs Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC are ineligible to participate in AFC club competitions and are thus the exceptions.

A-League Men sides have largely dominated the competition, with Adelaide United winning the inaugural title in 2014 against Perth Glory. Perth Glory reached the final again the following year but lost to Melbourne Victory. Sydney FC and Macarthur FC have also found notable success, with Macarthur winning the cup twice within four years of its A-League debut in 2020-21.

The Australia Cup awards two individual honors. The first is the Mark Viduka Medal, named after the former Australian national team captain, awarded to the player of the match in the final. Additionally, the Michael Cockerill Medal goes out to the best-performing Australia Cup player from a Member Federation Club.