Australia will elevate Women's Asian Cup profile and profitability, says AFC

MELBOURNE, Feb 27 - Australia's experience of hosting the Women's World Cup will provide a platform to take next month's Asian Cup to new levels of professionalism and profitability, the region's football governing body has told Reuters.

The 21st edition of the quadrennial tournament kicks off on Sunday with the hosts facing the Philippines in Perth. Champions China and 2011 World Cup winners Japan are among the 12 teams vying to lift the trophy on March 21.

Australia co-hosted the 2023 Women's World Cup with New Zealand and rode a wave of home support to the semi-finals. The event was judged a massive success and boosted the profile of the women's game around the world.

"The expectation is that Australia 2026 will set a new benchmark for the competition in terms of quality, professionalism and global visibility," Asian Football Confederation General Secretary Windsor John told Reuters.

"Following the success of the Women's World Cup, the infrastructure, operational expertise and public appetite for women's football are already well established.

"That provides a strong foundation for the Women's Asian Cup to further elevate its profile and we are already seeing record ticket sales.

"This edition is about consolidating the progress made in recent years and strengthening the tournament's identity as Asia's premier women's national team competition."

Asian nations have been losing ground to the game's top tier since Japan reached a second consecutive World Cup final in 2015. Their defeat by the United States marked the last time a team from the region advanced so far in global competition.

A major funding boost for the UEFA Women's Champions League saw standards in Europe rise rapidly, leaving the rest of the world playing catch-up.

The AFC has attempted to reduce the deficit by launching their own version of the Champions League last year but John says an upturn in results will take time.

"Closing the gap requires long-term structural alignment rather than short-term measures," he said.

"Asia has previously produced a women's world champion in Japan, and the objective now is to build consistent competitiveness in an increasingly professional global environment.

"We are already witnessing multiple successes on the youth stage with North Korea shining in that category.

"One of the most important recent developments has been the launch of the AFC Women's Champions League, which has energised the women's club ecosystem.

"It provides elite international competition at club level, encourages greater investment in domestic leagues and increases player mobility within the continent."

The 2026 edition of the Women's Asian Cup will also be the last to double as the continent's qualifiers for the World Cup.

Six berths at next year's finals in Brazil will be available in Australia, but the preliminaries for future World Cups will be held separately to boost the number of international matches played over each four-year cycle.

"Increased match experience is a key factor in improving competitive balance and raising overall standards," said John. REUTERS