Football Australia has confirmed that the Subway Socceroos will face China PR at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide on Thursday, 10 October 2024 (kick-off TBC) as part of their Round Three AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road To 26 Qualification campaign.

The match marks the first time the Subway Socceroos have played in Adelaide since 2017, as they continue their journey towards the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the prospect of a sixth consecutive appearance at international football’s showpiece event in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Football Australia CEO, James Johnson was looking forward to seeing the Subway Socceroos step out onto the iconic Adelaide Oval for the first time in seven years.

“The Subway Socceroos are one of Australia’s most beloved sporting teams and we want to ensure they are connecting with football communities right across the country,” Johnson said.

“We know the people of South Australia have been crying out for national team fixtures, and they showed their enthusiasm for our game and support for the CommBank Matildas in their recent friendly at Adelaide Oval. I have no doubt that ‘Arnie’ and his squad will feel the same wave of support when they arrive in October for this crucial World Cup qualification match.

“There is a rich footballing history across South Australia stretching from the grassroots right through to our national teams, and I’m so pleased we’ve been able to bring this community an international match of such significance.

“I’d also like to acknowledge Premier Peter Malinauskas and the South Australian Government, who have demonstrated a commitment to our game at all levels and established themselves as a state that delivers events of the highest quality. We’re extremely appreciative of our partnership and thank them for their ongoing support of football,” Johnson concluded.

South Australia’s Acting Premier, Minister Susan Close said: “We can’t wait to welcome the Socceroos back to Adelaide for the first time in more than seven years.

“Off the back of the Matildas’ sold-out exhibition in May and five FIFA Women’s World Cup matches at Coopers Stadium last year, we’re excited to continue the football fever of the past 12 months.

“I look forward to seeing crowds of thousands in their green and gold cheering on our national team and enjoying all the offerings of our hospitality and tourism businesses.

“This match adds to South Australia’s non-stop events calendar and demonstrates the Malinauskas Government’s commitment to deliver world-class major events,” Minister Close concluded.

During the last FIFA Men’s International Window in June 2024, the Subway Socceroos squad featured five players from South Australia – Joe Gauci (Cumberland United FC), Nestory Irankunda (Adelaide Croatia Raiders SC), Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (Adelaide Comets FC) and Kusini Yengi (Fulham United FC) – with Craig Goodwin (Munno Para City SC) and Riley McGree (Gawler Eagles FC) unavailable through injury.

Subway Socceroos’ Head Coach, Graham Arnold said the match would act as a homecoming for several members of his squad.

“We’ve got a number of players from South Australia across our extended squad who I’m sure will be very pleased to see us returning to Adelaide,” Arnold said.

“It will be the first time any of them have represented their nation in their home state, which will no doubt be a memory they will cherish for the rest of their careers. Opportunities like this are fleeting in international football and I know those players will be extremely motivated as they represent not just themselves, but their family, friends and local community.

“We’ve spoken a lot about how significant securing strong results in our home matches will be during this phase of qualification, and the players understand my expectations around their preparation and performance.

“I’ve not had the opportunity to coach the national team in Adelaide and I’m looking forward to the community getting behind the Socceroos for this important game,” concluded Arnold.

Scheduled to be played from September 2024 to June 2025, the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 will feature three groups of six teams playing in a home-and-away, round-robin format, offering direct qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ for the top two finishers of each group.

To find out all the latest information on fixtures, results and Third Round Qualification updates please click here.

Ticket information for Adelaide: Tickets for this match start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $29 Adult, and $58 Family, with a Football Account Pre-Sale at 10.00am ACST on Friday, 19 July 2024 and General Public On-Sale at 2.00pm ACST Monday, 22 July 2024 via Ticketek.

$2 (plus GST) from every ticket sold will be donated to the CommBank Pararoos and CommBank ParaMatildas, Australia’s CP national teams for male and female footballers with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury or symptoms from a stroke.

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’ AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 will be broadcast live thanks to Football Australia’s broadcast partner, 10 Paramount.

Match Details

Subway Socceroos v China PR
Thursday, 10 October 2024
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Kick-off: TBC
Tickets: Start from $15 Child, $20 Concession, $29 Adult, and $58 Family. Tickets from Ticketek.
Football Account Pre-Sale: 10.00am ACST on Friday, 19 July 2024.
General Public On-Sale: 2.00pm ACST Monday, 22 July 2024.
Broadcast: 10 Paramount