Football Australia has welcomed the findings of the Australian Sports Commission's (ASC) 2025 AusPlay New Participation Report, which confirms football remains the most popular team sport in the country.
The new data reinforces Football Australia's own 2024 participation figures, which show more than 1.9 million Australians engaged with football last year across various formats, including MiniRoos, community clubs, futsal, and inclusive and social football programs.
In response to this growth, Football Australia continues to evolve the game to meet the diverse needs of today's participants - from children to seniors, from elite pathways to recreational formats, and with a particular focus on accessibility for women, girls, and people of all abilities. However, Football Australia warns that without increased investment from all levels of government into community infrastructure all sports risks falling behind growing demand, especially among female participants.
Football Australia's Securing our Football Future - Policy Proposal to Government outlines a national long-term infrastructure strategy to address the participation surge and unlock the sport's potential as a vehicle for social impact. The strategy includes proposals for co-investment in community football hubs, gender-inclusive facilities, and access programs for under-represented groups.
As Australia prepares for major upcoming international tournaments and the ongoing legacy of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, Football Australia is calling on all levels of government to work collaboratively with the sport to ensure that participation demand can be met - now and for generations to come.
Quotes attributable to Football Australia Interim Chief Executive Officer, Heather Garriock:
"The AusPlay data confirms what we're seeing on the ground - football is booming. The game is more inclusive than ever, with women, girls, multicultural and regional communities embracing it at every level.
"The Federal Government's Play Our Way grant program was a fantastic initiative to address the grassroots facilities gap. What is clear however, is that sporting clubs need a long-term funding solution for all levels of government to solve the facilities gap for all sport.
"Without upgraded infrastructure and more community facilities, we risk leaving people behind."
"This isn't just about sport - football drives social cohesion, physical health, and gender equality. It's time to future-proof the game so we can continue to compete internationally with a long-term, coordinated investment strategy to deliver quality facilities for all Australians."
