Australian football teams to face England in London, back in 2003 the Three Lions got thrashed

Both the men's and women's Australian football teams are heading to London to take on England.

The international double is part of Football Australia's strategy to support the progression of its national teams on the global stage.

And what better place to do that than at the birthplace of football itself.

On April 11 (7:45pm local kick-off), the Matildas will lock horns with the Lionesses at Brentford.

Later on in the year, on October 13 (7:45pm local kick-off), Wembley Stadium will play host as the Socceroos face off against the Three Lions.

“Over the last two years, Football Australia has been dedicated to creating the right environment for national team success,” Football Australia CEO James Johnson said.

“This means replicating tournament football by playing higher-ranked opponents on a more regular basis to ensure the best preparation and our teams are peaking come tournament time.

“For the CommBank Matildas, this has seen us playing against more top 10 ranked nations plus European and South American opponents. We will be replicating that strategy for the Subway Socceroos in the upcoming FIFA World Cup cycle.”

With so many Aussies playing overseas, particularly in the UK, it seems only right for the national teams to head over there too.

“Australian football has always enjoyed a strong bond with football in the United Kingdom,” Johnson added.

“Historically, we had a prominent presence of male players throughout the English Premier League and the English Championship.

“This was followed by a very lean period but today, we have seen a resurgence of Australian footballers, both men and women, plying their trade in leagues across the United Kingdom.

“Harry Souttar has just signed for Leicester City and Riley McGree is having a standout season with Middlesborough in the English Championship. We also have seen a strong contingent of our Subway Socceroos move to the Scottish Premiership in recent years.

"Our CommBank Matildas have really led the resurgence of Australian football with eleven players in their current squad playing for clubs in England’s Women’s Super League including Sam Kerr at Chelsea and Caitlin Foord, at Arsenal, two powerhouses of the English game.

“Australian football is slowly re-establishing itself in English and European football again which is pleasing to see. The fact we have been able to secure this double fixture against England at a time when they are two of the best teams in world football is a sign of the drawing power of our national teams.

"The announcement of these matches today, with news about further fixtures for our CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos to come, means that Australian football fans will be able to plan for an entire calendar year of national team football with some bumper fixtures, which of course includes the historic FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 on home soil."

The last time the Matildas played the Lionesses was back in 2018, the game ending in a 1-1 draw at Fulham's Craven Cottage.

As for the Socceroos, they last faced off against the Three Lions in 2016 with England emerging as 2-1 winners courtesy of goals from Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney.

However, Australia have been successful on English soil before, once recording a historic 3-1 victory over the Three Lions back in 2003.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Australia, Football, England, Wembley Stadium

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry