FFA Cup to become Australia Cup

From 2022 onwards, Australia's largest national knockout football men's competition will be known as the Australia Cup.

Football Australia made the announcement of the name change just prior to this 2021 FFA Cup final between Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners. This year's iteration of the tournament, being concluded late due to COVID-19, will be the last year before the tournament changes to the Australia Cup.

Australia Cup

Football Australia are renaming the FFA Cup the Australia Cup.
The FFA Cup was first established in 2014.
The Australia Cup is Australia's largest national knockout football men's competition.

More Australia Cup news can be found on FTBL.

The FFA Cup was first established in 2014. As of 2022 it will become the Australia Cup. An original Australia Cup had been contested between 1962 and 1968, held between the leading state league teams.

Speaking about the name change Football Australia Chief Executive Office James Johnson stated that the decision was made after research and consultation, following the FA's own name change from Football Federation Australia in December 2020.

“Through discussion with Australian football historians, and dialogue with fans and stakeholders of the competition, the consensus was that the name Australia Cup truly speaks to what this competition is and represents.

"We are pleased that through this process pioneering players, clubs, and officials can feel recognised and connected to the competition,”

“The research and consultation we have conducted regarding this name change indicates that people will be overwhelmingly happy with the shift to Australia Cup from 2022 onwards."

The new Australia Cup name change will commence as the 2022 tournament restarts in the upcoming weeks, with the Preliminary Rounds of this year's competition. Over 700 clubs from all states and territories from all divisions of football will take part.

Football Australia has stated that the name chance is required as the tournament enters into a new era of the competition.

“We have really evolved the FFA Cup competition this year and changing the name of the competition to the Australia Cup is an exciting next step in this evolution," added Johnson.

"It was a year of many firsts – the first time the competition was played live and free-to-air via Network 10, giving it unprecedent exposure.

"We also scheduled matches in the final stages of the competition so that some were played on weekends, making it more friendly for the thousands of supporters across the country.

"The granting of one of Australia’s ‘half-spots’ in the AFC Champions League also meant that this year community clubs right up to Isuzu UTE A-League clubs could dream of representing their supporters, communities, and Australia on the international stage.

“Our Cup competition has always been one which has connected and united Australia’s football community, and we believe the name change will ultimately serve to elevate the competition in the national and international consciousness, as clubs aspire to win a competition that represents our entire football ecosystem.

“As the Australia Cup in 2022, we want to see more clubs from right across the country join the competition. We will see a competition where every game matters.

"Being played in the winter months, we also anticipate that football will be fast-paced and exciting. We are very excited about the start of a new chapter for the Australia Cup in 2022.”

FFA Cup 2021 Final

Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners
Date: Saturday, February 5, 2022
Venue: AAMI Park
Kick-off: 8:00PM AEDT
Broadcast: Live and free in Australia via 10 Play