The Matildas will complete their 2023 Women's World Cup preparations with a final "send-off" match against 2019 tournament hosts France, which is set to take place at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on July 14.
It will be the first time in 22 years that the world number 5 has travelled to Australia, with Les Bleus putting the finishing touches on their squad before they kick off their own World Cup campaign against Jamaica on July 23.
The two sides have met seven times previously, the most recent of which came back in October of 2018, ending in a 2-0 win to France thanks to a brace from Lyon striker Eugenie Le Sommer. It means the Matildas will have played nine out of the world's current top-10 teams in the build-up to their home tournament.
"A dynamic, technically brilliant team over the years, France have been consistently one of the best nations in the world, with incredible quality across all parts of their game," Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson said.
"It will be one final challenge for us just days out from our World Cup opener.
"Playing a big nation and a World Cup contender in front of a large and vocal Melbourne crowd will not only provide the team with a send-off they will remember and be inspired by, but it will give us one final taste of what to expect just days later in our opening match against the Republic of Ireland."
However, France are currently in chaos after captain Wendie Renard, alongside a number of her team-mates, stepped down due to ongoing tensions with the head coach, Corinne Diacre, and the French Football Federation (FFF).
Diacre, who took charge of France in 2017, has been accused by several senior players over the years of creating a toxic culture, including punishing individuals as a way of asserting control.
In one of her first training camps, Diacre stripped captain Renard, widely considered the greatest defender in the history of the women's game, of the armband, saying the multiple Champions League winner wasn't at an "international level".
Renard was re-instated in 2021, but last week announced she would be retiring from the national team for her own mental health, potentially missing July's World Cup unless changes were made.
"I defended the blue, white, and red shirt 142 times with passion, respect, commitment, and professionalism," Renard wrote on social media.
"I love France more than anything. I am not perfect — far from it — but I can no longer support the current system. Not to mention the requirements at the highest level.
"It is a sad, although necessary, day in order to preserve my mental wellbeing. It is with a heavy heart that I inform you with this message that I am stepping back from the French national team. Unfortunately, I will not participate in a World Cup under these conditions.
"My face can hide the pain, but my heart is hurting. I do not want to be in pain any longer. Thank you for your support and respecting my decision."
Renard was soon joined by Paris Saint-Germain strikers Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani, who each released statements saying they would no longer play for France until the situation was resolved.
Diacre controversially omitted Katoto from the 2019 World Cup team, despite her winning the domestic league's golden boot award that year.
Former goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi was the first to speak publicly about Diacre's leadership, telling French television in 2020 that "winning a title with this coach" was "impossible", before announcing that she would not represent France while Diacre remained at the helm.
Other senior players including Le Sommer, Gaëtane Thiney and Amandine Henry have also publicly criticised Diacre in the past and were subsequently omitted from future teams.
Despite regular player complaints and a lack of silverware in major tournaments, Diacre has been historically backed by the FFF and its outgoing president Noël Le Graët, who was forced to step down earlier this year following comments he made about French legend Zinedine Zidane.
However, Diacre is rumoured to be resigning following the most recent player boycotts, with the FFF releasing a statement last week saying its executive committee would "address the issue" today.
"The FFF would like to remind that no individual is above the Équipe de France institution," the statement said.
France join Canada and Spain as World Cup-bound nations ranked inside the top 10 who are currently at loggerheads with their federations.
Fifteen Spanish players boycotted the recent Cup of Nations series in Australia due to ongoing issues with head coach Jorge Vilda, while Tokyo gold medallists Canada threatened to go on strike and wore protest T-shirts after speaking out against a lack of investment from their federation.
Tickets for Australia v France will be available from 9:00am AEDT on Friday, March 17.
