There was a lot of talk about winning trophies in the lead-up to the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup final, in which the Matildas were narrowly defeated by Japan 1–0 in Saturday night’s final.
It was the third time Australia had met Japan in the final and represented the last chance for this golden generation to win a major tournament on home soil.
The result, which mirrored the 2014 and 2018 Women’s Asian Cup finals, was another case of so near yet so far for the Matildas.
