Officials from the People's Republic of China and Denmark have touched down in Perth following the FIFA official draw in Auckland on the weekend, which determined that 9 of the World Cup's 32 participating teams will compete in Perth as part of the 2023 tournament.
The teams coming to Western Australia as part of the 5-match series include:
- reigning Olympic champions Canada, whose star striker Christine Sinclair is the all-time leading international goal scorer for men or women
- the Republic of China team — known as the Steel Roses — one of the powerhouses of world football
- Denmark — returning to the World Cup after a 16-year absence
- the Republic of Ireland
- Jamaica
- Morocco
- Colombia.
The month-long FIFAWWC 2023 will be the biggest in history, kicking off across Australia and New Zealand on 20 July 2023.
The primary training ground for the FIFAWWC will be the $40 million State Football Centre, which is being jointly funded by the State Government and Australian Government.
The centre will be a world-class sporting facility catering to all levels of the sport, from grassroots to high-performance development.
It includes:
- 2 floodlit pitches capable of high-performance and high-intensity use
- 3 five-a-side pitches
- supporting infrastructure — such as change rooms and a gym — as well as administration facilities for Football West.
The State Government is also investing $35 million to deliver upgrades to the Perth Rectangular Stadium, which will be the venue for all 5 matches.
These works include upgrades to the lighting, the pitch, the player amenities, the power supply, along with temporary infrastructure to accommodate the anticipated number of World Cup spectators — such as additional seating and facilities for players, media, and patrons.
The State Government is also contributing $200,000 to match the Australian Government's election pledge of $200,000 towards upgrades to West Perth's Dorrien Gardens sports ground, which has also been selected by FIFA as a training location.
The full list of Perth matches includes:
- 22 July 2023 Denmark v People's Republic of China
- 26 July 2023 Republic of Ireland v Canada
- 29 July 2023 Jamaica v Group C play-off winner
- 1 August 2023 Group B play-off winner v Denmark
- 3 August 2023 Morocco v Colombia.