World football governing body FIFA and Football Australia have invited four local teams to showcase football’s power to bring joy, peace, hope, love, and passion to communities on the popular Unity Pitch for the beyond greatness community football tournament.
The Iconic Sydney Opera House will stage the community event on Unity Pitch with the tournament scheduled to take place on Saturday, 19 August from 2 pm to 5 pm on the eve of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Final with FIFA Legends to join 40 local footballers for a unique football spectacle.
Forty local female footballers will unite with some of the greatest players in the history of the game on the steps of the Sydney Opera House this Saturday, bringing the excitement of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 to the game’s grassroots in the Beyond Greatness Community Football Tournament.
Millions of girls and boys around the globe have been inspired by the record-breaking tournament in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, so FIFA and Football Australia have invited four local teams to showcase football’s power to bring joy, peace, hope, love, and passion to communities on the popular Unity Pitch at one of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
Two New South Wales State Indigenous Representative U16 teams will play a round-robin competition with teams from Kissing Point FC and Hurlstone Park Wanders FC, who have both achieved Football Australia Club Changer 1 Star Status, demonstrating their commitment to the development of women’s and girls’ football.
The two representative teams competed in the NAIDOC Cup, which was recently established for selected Indigenous footballers aged 13 to 16 to represent Northern New South Wales Football against Indigenous teams from Football New South Wales.
The young footballers will share the pitch with FIFA Legends including Brazil’s Formiga, France’s Laura Georges, and England internationals Fara Williams and Kelly Smith.
Formiga is Brazil’s record international appearance maker with over 200 caps, while Georges appeared in seven major tournaments for France. Williams is an icon of English football having played in three FIFA Women’s World Cups.
Williams played many of her internationals alongside Smith, who also had a glittering career for her country, and clubs in the UK and USA.
The Beyond Greatness Community Football Tournament will be open to fans as they get set for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 third-place match between Sweden and Australia later in the day as distributed by APO Group on behalf of FIFA.
Fans will be able to take a seat on the steps of the Sydney Opera House to view the matches between 2 pm and 5 pm, before making the short journey to the FIFA Fan Festival at Tumbalong Park ahead of the kick-off between Sweden and Australia at 6 pm.
Beyond Greatness™ Community Football Tournament
When: Saturday, 19 August 2023
Where: Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney Opera House, Sydney/Gadigal
Time: 2 pm – 5 pm
Admission: Free – seating will be on the Monumental Steps
FIFA Legends: Formiga (BRA), Laura Georges (FRA), Fara Williams (ENG), Kelly Smith (ENG).
