Australia Cup

Australia Cup
Founded24 February 2014; 10 years ago (2014-02-24)
Region Australia
 New Zealand
Number of teams778 (in 2023)
Qualifier forAFC Cup
Current championsSydney FC
(2nd title)
Most successful club(s)Adelaide United (3 titles)
Television broadcasters
WebsiteAustralia Cup
2023 Australia Cup

The Australia Cup, formerly called the FFA Cup,[1] is an Australian soccer knockout cup competition held every year. It is organised by Football Australia.

It is different to the national league competition, the A-League Men, which also happens every year. The Australia Cup has more teams, and it is the only time that A-League clubs can play official matches against lower-ranked clubs, because the Australian soccer league system does not have relegation.

Since 2021, the winner of the Australia Cup qualifies for one of the play-off spots for the next years' AFC club competitions (the AFC Champions League for 2022, the AFC Cup for 2023-24 and the AFC Champions League 2 for 2024-24 onwards), unless Wellington Phoenix are the winner. The reason Wellington Phoenix cannot qualify for any of these competitions is because the club is based in New Zealand, which is a member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), while Australia is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The most successful team at the Australia Cup is Adelaide United. The current champions are Sydney FC, who defeated Brisbane Roar in the 2023 final.

Format

Further information: Australian soccer league system

The Australia Cup is a 32-team knockout competition. Professional, semi-professional and even community clubs are all able to qualify.

Of the 32 qualifying slots, 10 are given to the 12 A-League Men clubs. The rest are given to clubs who play on the state and territory level. New South Wales is given six slots (four for Football NSW clubs and two for Northern NSW Football clubs, because the state has two federations), while Victoria gets five, Queensland gets four, Western Australia and South Australia get two each and Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory each get one.

Lists of clubs

2023

A-League Men clubs
South Australia Adelaide United Queensland Brisbane Roar New South Wales Central Coast Mariners New South Wales Macarthur FC
Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City New South Wales Newcastle Jets New South Wales Sydney FC New Zealand Wellington Phoenix
New South Wales Western Sydney Wanderers Victoria (Australia) Western United
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Canberra Croatia (2) New South Wales APIA Leichhardt (2) New South Wales Inter Lions (3) New South Wales Mt Druitt Town Rangers (2)
New South Wales Sydney United 58 (2) New South Wales Edgeworth FC (2) New South Wales Broadmeadow Magic (2) Northern Territory Hellenic Athletic (2)
Queensland Gold Coast Knights (2) Queensland Lions FC (2) Queensland Moreton Bay United (2) Queensland Peninsula Power (2)
South Australia Campbelltown City (2) South Australia North Eastern MetroStars (2) Tasmania Devonport City Strikers (2) Victoria (Australia) Goulburn Valley Suns (4)
Victoria (Australia) Heidelberg United (2) Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Knights (2) Victoria (Australia) Northcote City (3) Victoria (Australia) Oakleigh Cannons (2)
Western Australia Floreat Athena (2) Western Australia Inglewood United (2)

2022

A-League clubs
South Australia Adelaide United Queensland Brisbane Roar New South Wales Central Coast Mariners New South Wales Macarthur FC
Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Victory New South Wales Newcastle Jets New South Wales Sydney FC
New Zealand Wellington Phoenix Victoria (Australia) Western United
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Monaro Panthers (2) New South Wales Bonnyrigg White Eagles (3) New South Wales NWS Spirit (3) New South Wales Sydney United 58 (2)
New South Wales Wollongong United (6) New South Wales Broadmeadow Magic (2) New South Wales Newcastle Olympic (2) Northern Territory Mindil Aces (2)
Queensland Brisbane City (2) Queensland Logan Lightning (2) Queensland Magpies Crusaders United (3) Queensland Peninsula Power (2)
South Australia Adelaide City (2) South Australia Modbury Jets (3) Tasmania Devonport City (2) Victoria (Australia) Avondale FC (2)
Victoria (Australia) Bentleigh Greens (2) Victoria (Australia) Green Gully (2) Victoria (Australia) Heidelberg United (2) Victoria (Australia) Oakleigh Cannons (2)
Western Australia Armadale SC (2) Western Australia Cockburn City (2)

2021

A-League clubs
East Zone North Zone South Zone West Zone
New South Wales Central Coast Mariners Queensland Brisbane Roar Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City South Australia Adelaide United
New South Wales Macarthur FC New Zealand Wellington Phoenix Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Victory
New South Wales Sydney FC Victoria (Australia) Western United
New South Wales Western Sydney Wanderers
Member federation clubs
New South Wales APIA Leichhardt (2) Northern Territory Casuarina FC (2) Victoria (Australia) Avondale FC (2) South Australia Adelaide City (2)
New South Wales Blacktown City (2) Queensland Edge Hill United (5) Tasmania Devonport City (2) South Australia Adelaide Olympic (2)
New South Wales Broadmeadow Magic (2) Queensland Gold Coast Knights (2) Victoria (Australia) Hume City (2) Western Australia ECU Joondalup (2)
New South Wales Mt Druitt Town Rangers (2) Queensland Lions FC (2) Victoria (Australia) Port Melbourne (2) Western Australia Floreat Athena (2)
New South Wales Newcastle Olympic (2) Queensland Peninsula Power (2) Victoria (Australia) South Melbourne (2)
New South Wales Sydney Olympic (2)
Australian Capital Territory Tigers FC (2)
New South Wales Wollongong Wolves (2)

2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the tournament was cancelled.

2019

A-League clubs
South Australia Adelaide United Queensland Brisbane Roar New South Wales Central Coast Mariners Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City
Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Victory New South Wales Newcastle Jets Western Australia Perth Glory New South Wales Sydney FC
New Zealand Wellington Phoenix New South Wales Western Sydney Wanderers
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Tigers FC (2) New South Wales Manly United (2) New South Wales Marconi Stallions (2) New South Wales Mt Druitt Town Rangers (2)
New South Wales St George FC (3) New South Wales Sydney United 58 (2) New South Wales Edgeworth FC (2) New South Wales Maitland FC (2)
Northern Territory Darwin Olympic (2) Queensland Brisbane Strikers (2) Queensland Coomera Colts (4) Queensland Magpies Crusaders United (2)
Queensland Olympic FC (2) South Australia Adelaide Olympic (2) South Australia Campbelltown City (2) Tasmania South Hobart (2)
Victoria (Australia) Bulleen Lions (3) Victoria (Australia) Hume City (2) Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Knights (2) Victoria (Australia) Moreland Zebras (3)
Western Australia Bayswater City (2) Western Australia Floreat Athena (2)

2018

A-League clubs
South Australia Adelaide United Queensland Brisbane Roar New South Wales Central Coast Mariners Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City
Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Victory New South Wales Newcastle Jets Western Australia Perth Glory New South Wales Sydney FC
New Zealand Wellington Phoenix New South Wales Western Sydney Wanderers
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Canberra FC (2) New South Wales APIA Leichhardt Tigers (2) New South Wales Bonnyrigg White Eagles (2) New South Wales Hakoah Sydney City East (2)
New South Wales Marconi Stallions (2) New South Wales Rockdale City Suns (2) New South Wales Broadmeadow Magic (2) New South Wales Charlestown City Blues (2)
Northern Territory Hellenic Athletic (2) Queensland Cairns FC (2) Queensland Gold Coast Knights (4) Queensland Olympic FC (2)
Queensland Queensland Lions (2) South Australia Adelaide Comets (2) Tasmania Devonport City (2) Victoria (Australia) Avondale FC (2)
Victoria (Australia) Bentleigh Greens (2) Victoria (Australia) Heidelberg United (2) Victoria (Australia) Northcote City (2) Victoria (Australia) Port Melbourne (2)
Western Australia Armadale SC (2) Western Australia Gwelup Croatia (3)

2017

A-League clubs
South Australia Adelaide United Queensland Brisbane Roar New South Wales Central Coast Mariners Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City
Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Victory New South Wales Newcastle Jets Western Australia Perth Glory New South Wales Sydney FC
New Zealand Wellington Phoenix New South Wales Western Sydney Wanderers
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Canberra Olympic (2) New South Wales APIA Leichhardt Tigers (2) New South Wales Bankstown Berries (3) New South Wales Blacktown City (2)
New South Wales Hakoah Sydney City East (2) New South Wales Hills Brumbies (3) New South Wales Sydney United 58 (2) New South Wales Broadmeadow Magic (2)
New South Wales Edgeworth FC (2) Northern Territory Darwin Rovers (2) Queensland Far North Queensland (2) Queensland Gold Coast City (2)
Queensland Moreton Bay United (2) Queensland Peninsula Power (3) South Australia North Eastern MetroStars (2) Tasmania Olympia (2)
Victoria (Australia) Bentleigh Greens (2) Victoria (Australia) Heidelberg United (2) Victoria (Australia) Hume City (2) Victoria (Australia) South Melbourne (2)
Western Australia Sorrento FC (2) Western Australia Western Knights (3)

2016

A-League clubs
South Australia Adelaide United Queensland Brisbane Roar New South Wales Central Coast Mariners Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City
Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Victory New South Wales Newcastle Jets Western Australia Perth Glory New South Wales Sydney FC
New Zealand Wellington Phoenix New South Wales Western Sydney Wanderers
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Canberra Olympic (2) New South Wales Blacktown City (2) New South Wales Bonnyrigg White Eagles (2) New South Wales Manly United (2)
New South Wales Marconi Stallions (3) New South Wales Sydney United 58 (2) New South Wales Wollongong Wolves (2) New South Wales Edgeworth FC (2)
New South Wales Lambton Jaffas (2) Northern Territory Shamrock Rovers Darwin (2) Queensland Brisbane Strikers (2) Queensland Far North Queensland (2)
Queensland Redlands United (2) Queensland Surfers Paradise Apollo (3) South Australia North Eastern MetroStars (2) Tasmania Devonport City (2)
Victoria (Australia) Bentleigh Greens (2) Victoria (Australia) Green Gully (2) Victoria (Australia) Hume City (2) Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Knights (2)
Western Australia Cockburn City (2) Western Australia Floreat Athena (2)

2015

A-League clubs
South Australia Adelaide United Queensland Brisbane Roar New South Wales Central Coast Mariners Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City
Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Victory New South Wales Newcastle Jets Western Australia Perth Glory New South Wales Sydney FC
New Zealand Wellington Phoenix New South Wales Western Sydney Wanderers
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Gungahlin United (2) New South Wales Blacktown City (2) New South Wales Rockdale City Suns (2) New South Wales Sydney Olympic (2)
New South Wales Sydney United 58 (2) New South Wales Balmain Tigers (4) New South Wales Broadmeadow Magic (2) New South Wales Edgeworth FC (2)
Northern Territory Darwin Olympic (2) Queensland Brisbane Strikers (2) Queensland Far North Queensland (2) Queensland Palm Beach (2)
Queensland Queensland Lions (3) South Australia Croydon Kings (2) South Australia North Eastern MetroStars (2) Tasmania South Hobart (2)
Victoria (Australia) Heidelberg United (2) Victoria (Australia) Hume City (2) Victoria (Australia) Oakleigh Cannons (2) Victoria (Australia) South Melbourne (2)
Western Australia Perth SC (2) Western Australia Sorrento FC (2)

2014

A-League clubs
South Australia Adelaide United Queensland Brisbane Roar New South Wales Central Coast Mariners Victoria (Australia) Melbourne City
Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Victory New South Wales Newcastle Jets Western Australia Perth Glory New South Wales Sydney FC
New Zealand Wellington Phoenix New South Wales Western Sydney Wanderers
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Tuggeranong United (2) New South Wales Blacktown City (2) New South Wales Manly United (2) New South Wales South Coast Wolves (2)
New South Wales Sydney Olympic (2) New South Wales Sydney United 58 (2) New South Wales Parramatta FC (3) New South Wales Hakoah Sydney City East (4)
New South Wales Broadmeadow Magic (2) New South Wales South Cardiff (2) Queensland Brisbane Strikers (2) Queensland Far North Queensland (2)
Queensland Olympic FC (2) Queensland Palm Beach (2) South Australia Adelaide City (2) Tasmania South Hobart (2)
Victoria (Australia) Bentleigh Greens (2) Victoria (Australia) Melbourne Knights (2) Victoria (Australia) South Springvale (4) Victoria (Australia) St Albans Saints (3)
Western Australia Bayswater City (2) Western Australia Stirling Lions (2)

Women's Australia Cup

See the main article: Women's Australia Cup

In March 2023, Football Australia announced that they would be launching a women's version of the Australia Cup, the Women's Australia Cup, in 2024. It will be the first women's competition of its kind in Australia and will allow A-League Women clubs to play official matches against lower-ranked women's clubs. The winner will have a chance to qualify for the AFC Women's Champions League.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "'Australia Cup' name to return to Australia's largest national knockout football competition". Football Australia. 5 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  2. ↑ Lewis, Samantha. "Football Australia to launch Women's Australia Cup in 2024 as part of Women's World Cup legacy". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 October 2023.