Socceroos manager Graham Arnold has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and state governments to give football their fair share of funding while building a new base of operations.
Arnold's men were recently in the UK for two friendlies against England and New Zealand. Despite losing 1-0 to England at Wembley Stadium, the Socceroos easily accounted for the Kiwis with a 2-0 win on Wednesday morning.
The Socceroos and Matildas have both completed successful World Cup campaigns in the last 10 months that captured the hearts and minds of the nation. The Matildas’ semi-final defeat to England became the most watched television program in Australian history with an average audience of 7.13 million viewers.
After the success of both the men and women’s teams, Arnold said now was the perfect time for the Albanese and state governments to put more funds into Australian football.
“The English media and people over here (in the UK) were gobsmacked that we don’t have a home for football,” Arnold told SEN’s The Global Game.
“They couldn’t believe it and they thought I was taking the mickey.
“We are the most participated sport and we have nothing and the UK could not believe that we train on rugby league fields.
“I’ve said it publicly and I said it right after the (2022 Men’s World Cup) that if we want to help kids fulfil their dreams, we need a home and we need a culture for the game.
“There have probably been more pressing things for Anthony Albanese in the last few months.
“He loves coming to the games and so do all the premiers of the states.
“They all love putting the scarves on their necks and being seen with all the players.
“As soon as it’s over, they take the scarf home, throw it away and it’s all forgotten.”
The Socceroos begin their 2026 World Cup qualifiers on November 16 against Bangladesh.