In 2023, Australia was officially gripped by Matildas fever as our women's football team historically made the semi-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney.
The ParaMatildas have now gone one better, becoming the first Australian football team to ever win a World Cup.
They beat the USA 6-2 in the 2024 International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF) Women's World Cup final in Spain overnight.
The USA scored two goals in the opening six minutes.
But Australian goalkeeper and captain Katelyn Smith surprised everyone by scoring three goals. Georgia Beikoff scored two goals and Annmarie de Uriarte another to round out the emphatic win.
The women's football team secured their spot in the final after a 9-0 semi-final victory over Denmark on Tuesday.
In their last final meet-up, the USA beat the ParaMatildas 4-2 in the final of the first-ever IFCPF Women's World Cup in 2022.
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Who are the ParaMatildas?
The ParaMatildas are Australia's national football team for women and girls with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and symptoms of stroke.
"It's such a new team," ParaMatildas player Carly Salmon told SBS News late last year.
"But we're getting our names out there now. Hopefully, that means we can only grow, get more girls involved — and get Australia on board."
ParaMatildas player Carly Salmon hopes the success of the football team can get "Australia on board". Source: Getty / Kelly Defina
Disability Sport Australia's general manager Ayden Shaw said the ParaMatildas' success is a "landmark moment" for parasport in Australia.
"Everyone always hears of the Paralympics. But now we're hearing so many great stories of other sports opportunities and different teams that have those pathways for people with disability," he said.
"I think for a lot of people, it's a landmark moment to know this sport exists, that there are opportunities out there — and we're actually really good at it."
