We might be late to the party, but the ACT government is drawing up plans to capitalise on Matildas fever if the team can secure a place in the Women's World Cup final.
In a roundabout way for the capital to jump on the bandwagon, it can be revealed the government is locked in discussions about using Canberra Stadium or Manuka Oval as a live-site location for the final.
Canberra Stadium is the leading contender given it has two big screens and there will already be a crowd at the venue after the Canberra Raiders' men's and women's double-header on Sunday afternoon.
But officials will wait until after the Matildas' semi-final showdown with England on Wednesday night before settling on plans for the final.
A Matildas frenzy is sweeping across the country after Australia charged into the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in history when they beat France in a tense penalty shootout last weekend.
Canberra, though, has been forced to sit on the sideline during the tournament after the government opted not to be an active member of Australia's bid to host the tournament.
Crowds have still turned up at Garema Place to watch games on big screens and have flooded pubs and clubs around the city to get a taste of the World Cup vibe.
The Garema Place screen will be set up again for the semi-final, but it is expected interest will boom if the Matildas can topple England and earn a spot in the final.
"Garema Place will have capacity for expected crowds for Wednesday," a government spokesperson said.
"Should the Matildas make it through to the finals we will explore options for a larger venue for Canberrans to join from."
More than 4 million watched the Matildas beat France on the weekend, making it the most-watched TV event since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
The NRL and AFL have put Matildas games on the big screens at their games to make sure fans aren't forced to choose between the World Cup and the regular winter codes.
It's understood the Raiders would welcome any move to add a Matildas element to their game-day experience for the men's and women's teams if required this weekend.
Capital Football chief executive Ivan Slavich said he was surprised it had taken this long for people to be swept away by World Cup fever.
"We did realise how big it would be. It was quite perplexing for us in the football community why people weren't talking about the World Cup beforehand. We knew how big it was going to be," Slavich said.
"Of course, the Matildas doing well makes a huge difference in that equation but if we bowed out earlier, the support would still have been big.
"With the Matildas doing well, it's captured the imagination of Australia. I saw footage of guys commentating AFL watching the Matildas game. You never see that, ever."
Football Australia offered the ACT government a six-game package to be a host city during the tournament. The government knocked back the deal because of the cost, saying the $1 million per game fee was too high.
The government has instead invested in the $33.5 million Home of Football at Throsby and will also be a major financial backer of an A-League Men's team if the team is granted a licence to join the competition.
"The football community is extremely disappointed. Everyone I've talked to is disappointed we didn't have any games," Slavich said.
"We are, however, grateful for the ACT government in support Canberra United and doubling that support this year. I don't think it's just the ACT government, I think it's the whole community didn't realise how big this was going to be."
