TheAustralia–Japan football rivalry is asports rivalry that exists between the nationalassociation football teams of each country, regarded as one of Asia's biggest football rivalries.[1] The rivalry is a relatively recent one, born from several highly competitive matches between the two teams since Australia joined theAsian Football Confederation in 2006.[2] The two teams have played each other in several significant matches, including aWorld Cup group stage match, the2011 Asian Cup final and have been drawn in the same group in five consecutive World Cup qualification campaigns.
Socceroos supporters at a Japan match in Kaiserslautern
The first match between the two teams was played at the1956 Olympics, ending in a 2–0 win for the Australians.[3]Another dozen matches were played between Australia and Japan until a semi-final match at the2001 Confederations Cup which ended in a 1–0 for Japan, but the match-up only emerged as a rivalry after 2006, when Australia joined theAFC, especially theFIFA World Cup qualification games.The first match between the two sides after this was during the2006 FIFA World Cup, a group stage game where Australia was still technically competing asOceania representatives. With just six minutes left, Japan led by a single goal, only for Australia to score thrice in succession to secure their first-ever win in a World Cup finals match in what is regarded as one of the greatest moments in Australian sporting history.[4]
Several fiercequalifying matches over the next few years enhanced the rivalry, and Japan got revenge for their World Cup defeat by knocking the Socceroos out of the2007 AFC Asian Cup at the quarter-finals on penalties. In 2011, Japan again beat the Socceroos in an Asian Cup, this time in thefinal with a solitary goal in extra time sealing the title.
Like their men's counterparts, the two nations also have a strong rivalry in the women's game, with bothAustralia andJapan among Asia's highest ranked nations. Although the first matches started in the 1980s, the two have met regularly in both friendly and competitive matches, in particular having competed often in theAFC Women's Asian Cup.
Since Australia joinedAsian Football Confederation in 2006, both Matildas and Nadeshiko became two of the only three Asian nations to finish in the top four of theFIFA Women's World Cup (Japan crowned champions in 2011 and runners-up in 2015 while Australia finish fourth in the 2023 edition).
Australia
Japan
