Australia's best young football talent will be showcased across two action-packed weeks when the 2026 CommBank Emerging Matildas and Emerging Socceroos Championships kicks off next week.
In an exciting change for the nation's premier youth football event, the Championships will be held in April for the first time, moving from their traditional mid-year timeslot to deliver fans, families and selectors an early look at Australia's next generation of stars.
The festival of football begins with the CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships from April 10-15, welcoming Under 15 and Under 16 girls' teams from across the country to the Home of the Matildas in Melbourne. The tournament provides a critical pathway for young female footballers aiming to progress to national representation.
A total of 27 teams and almost 700 players and officials from Football Australia's nine State and Territory Member Federations will meet in Melbourne in April with the eyes of scouts and National Team selectors watching closely. Teams will arrive on Thursday 9 April and conduct Pre-Tournament Testing as part of the Championship activations.
CLICK HERE to view the Official 2026 CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships Digital Program and fixtures.
For its second edition, Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) will participate in the 2026 CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships in the U15 division and Japan Football Academy (JFA) will participate in the U15 division of the 2026 CommBank Emerging Socceroos Championships as Football Australian international invitational teams.
Football Australia's First Nations program will once again compete at the Championships in the U15 Girls and U16 Boys division as the Charles Perkins XI - named after one of Australia's most influential figures in sport and civil rights. The program aims to expand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Talent Identification opportunities, creating a chance for aspiring and emerging First Nations Footballers to shine on the national stage.
The spotlight then turns to the boys, with the CommBank Emerging Socceroos Championships taking place at Valentine Sports Park, Sydney from April 19-24, where the nation's top emerging male footballers will compete for national honours and selection recognition.
Similar to the girls' competition, Teams will arrive on Saturday, 18 April and conduct Pre-Tournament Testing as part of the Championships activations and Scouting process. The 2026 CommBank Emerging Socceroos Championships fixtures will be released next week.
For the third consecutive year, in partnership with News Corp Australia, KommunityTV will bring the Championships to fans around the country, live-streaming every match from both tournaments exclusively. Teams from Football Australia's nine State and Territory Member Federations as well as invitational teams will compete, with all matches available to watch live and on demand.
To view the live stream hub, click HERE.
For those already with a full subscription to any of News Corp Australia's 11 metro and regional digital newspapers*, the Emerging Championships will be available to watch for no additional cost on KommunityTV.
For those who are not already subscribed, football fans can go to kommunitytv.com.au to subscribe for $6/week (min. $24/ 4-week commitment) and receive access to 100% of games, as well as full access to News Corp Australia's digital newspapers*
* News Corp Australia's 11 metro and regional digital newspapers are The Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph, Courier Mail, The Advertiser, The Mercury, NT News, Cairns Post, Townsville Bulletin, Toowoomba Chronicle, Gold Coast Bulletin & The Geelong Advertiser.
Football Australia's reimagined youth championships are built on the foundation of excellence, opportunity, and innovation and serve as the premier talent identification and development platforms in Australian football.
As part of the evolution, Football Australia has continued to introduce a series of workshops and seminars, aimed at equipping the nation's best emerging players, coaches, support staff, match officials and parents with the tools needed to excel both on and off the field.
After feedback from the 2025 edition of the Emerging Championships, Football Australia National Teams Unit has provided webinars pre-event, allowing participants to absorb the education content before implementing during the tournament week.
Live athlete webinars include presentations from Professional Footballers Australia (Planning Your Football Career) and CommBank Matildas Dietician Alicia Edge (Fueling Your Football: From Preparation to Recovery). The National Teams Wellbeing Department also delivered a live session for parents (Fostering Independence for Sporting Success), with other presentations relating to Coach Education, Video Analysis and Talent Identification. Recordings from these sessions and other resources are exclusively available to all registered tournament participants via the 2026 Digital Resource Hub.
This is a free event to attend with no ticket required.
2026 CommBank Emerging Championships
CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships
Venue: Home of the Matildas, Bundoora, Melbourne, Victoria
Dates: 9 - 15 April 2026
CommBank Emerging Socceroos Championships
Venue: Valentine Sports Park, Glenwood, Sydney, New South Wales
Dates: 18 - 24 April 2026
