The Matildas are currently one of the most popular teams in Australia after last year’s successful home World Cup.
They went to the Paris Olympics looking to match or better their previous best performance, though injury problems and a tough group made it a difficult task.
The Sporting News looks at Australia’s history in the Olympics women’s football tournament, and how they have fared in previous editions.
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What was the Matildas first appearance at the Olympics?
The Matildas first appeared at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where they qualified as host nation.
They failed to qualify for the 1996 tournament in Atlanta, the first Olympics to feature women’s football.
They couldn’t make home ground advantage count, though, as they could only muster one point from their three group games.
They were defeated 3-0 by Germany and 2-1 by Brazil, with their solitary point coming in a draw against Sweden.
Matildas record at the Olympic Games
The Matildas have qualified four times for the Olympic games - including this year’s event in Paris - including the last three tournaments on the bounce.
They have played 17 matches at the Olympics, winning four, drawing five and losing eight times.
Their performances have improved since their first appearance in 2000, having made it out of the group stage in every tournament since, starting with a quarterfinal appearance in 2004.
They have not won a medal yet, which is something this current crop of Matildas will be desperate to change, especially given many of the players are in the prime of their careers.
| Edition | Record (W-D-L) | Goals for | Goals against | Stage reached |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0-1-2 | 2 | 6 | Group stage |
| 2004 | 1-1-2 | 3 | 4 | Quarterfinals |
| 2016 | 1-2-1 | 8 | 5 | Quarterfinals |
| 2020 | 2-1-3 | 11 | 13 | Semifinals (Fourth place) |
| 2024 | 1-0-2 | 7 | 10 | Group stage |
Matildas best finish at Olympics
The Matildas best finish at the Olympics came in their last attempt at Tokyo 2020, where they reached the semifinals and narrowly missed out on winning a medal.
A win over New Zealand and credible draw with the USA meant they progressed as one of the best third placed teams, before they pulled off a dramatic extra time win over Great Britain, with Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler scoring the crucial goals.
They then fell to a narrow 1-0 loss to Sweden - who also beat them in the group stages, setting them up for a rematch with the USA for the Bronze medal.
Australia fought hard, but eventually fell to a 4-3 defeat, leaving them empty handed.
Matildas Olympics draw, schedule
The Matildas began their Olympics campaign with a poor result and showing against Germany, losing 3-0.
They managed to defeat Zambia in a must win match, coming back from 5-2 down to win 6-5 in an unbelievable game.
They needed to get at least a point against the USA to guarantee qualification to the quarter-finals, but they fell to a 2-1 defeat.
That result combined with Canada's 1-0 win over Colombia meant the Matildas were dumped out in the group stage for the first time in 24 years.