New State Football Centre for Perth ahead of 2023 Women’s World Cup

A $32.5 million WA State Football Centre will be built in Perth’s south-east, as Australia vies to win hosting rights for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The venue, to be equally funded by the State and Federal Governments, will provide a must-needed boost for football facilities in Western Australia.

To be located at Queens Park, the new facility will feature two soccer pitches for high-performance, junior and community football programs, with the capacity to host training camps for national and international teams.

The main pitch will include permanent seating for 700 spectators, with additional seating able to boost the capacity to around 4,000 for special events.

The sports WA governing body Football West will move to the new facility once complete, while Perth Glory's training and administration may also find a new home there. The venue would also be ideal for Perth Glory W-League home matches.

Premier Mark McGowan said the centre was expected to be completed by mid-2023.

"If the FIFA Women's World Cup comes to Australia in 2023, this will be an opportunity for a training facility and potentially a place for our Australian team to be based when they're here in Perth," Mr McGowan said.

"The project would create jobs for local contractors and builders", Mr McGowan added.

The centre will be built on a site north of the Queens Park Open Space, with a masterplan for the redevelopment of the area to be designed with input from the City of Canning.

The announcement comes after an independent report into the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup bidding process tipped Australia and New Zealand’s joint application as front runners.

The advisory report ranked each bid based on facilities, accommodation and commercial reach — with New Zealand and Australia outscoring rival bidders Japan and Colombia.

More information can be found here.