As the Matildas progress further than any Australian team ever has in a World Cup, so too has the nation’s sudden interest in football.
It’s not just the Matildas’ success on the field that’s driving the interest. They have been a great team for a while. They made the Olympic medal playoffs – but without an audience like this. The combination of finally receiving the press attention they are due with their games broadcast on free-to-air in a timeslot most locals don’t have to risk their jobs to watch has placed a powerful truth front-and-centre of Australian culture: yes, football really is the beautiful game.
