2026 Australia Cup
2026 season of Australia's national knockout soccer competition
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The 2026 Australia Cup, known as the Hahn Australia Cup for sponsorship reasons,[1] is the 13th season of the Australia Cup, the main national soccer knockout cup competition in Australia. Thirty-two teams contest the competition proper.
32 (main competition)
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Dates | 31 January 2026–TBD |
| Teams | 777 in total 32 (main competition) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
All eligible A-League clubs entered at the Round of 32. The qualifying competition began on 31 January, with the competition proper starting in July 2026.
New Zealand-based A-League clubs Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC were excluded from the competition for the first time, to align with the Asian Football Confederation's qualification requirements for the AFC Champions League Two.[2][3]
Newcastle Jets were the defending champions,[4] but were knocked out in the Round of 32.
Round and dates
| Round | Draw date | Match dates | Number of fixtures | Teams | New entries this round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary rounds | Various | 31 January – 17 June | 777 → 32 | 766 | |
| Round of 32 | 22 June | 14–30 July | 16 | 32 → 16 | 11 |
| Round of 16 | 30 July | 8–12 August | 8 | 16 → 8 | None |
| Quarter-finals | 30 July | 18–23 August | 4 | 8 → 4 | |
| Semi-finals | 30 July | 8–20 September | 2 | 4 → 2 | |
| Final | — | 10 October | 1 | 2 → 1 |
Preliminary rounds
Member federation teams competed in various state-based preliminary rounds to win places in the competition proper (from the Round of 32). All Australian clubs (other than youth teams associated with A-League franchises) were eligible to enter the qualifying process through their respective member federation; however, only one team per club was permitted entry into the competition.[a] The preliminary rounds operated within a consistent national structure, whereby club entry into the competition is staggered in each state/territory, determined by what level the club sits at in the unofficial Australian soccer league system.
All ten Australian A-League Men clubs gained automatic qualification to the Round of 32. South Melbourne qualified automatically as winners of the 2025 Australian Championship.[6]
| Federation | Associated competition | Round of 32 qualifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Football Australia | A-League Men | 10 |
| Australian Championship | 1 | |
| Capital Football (ACT) | Federation Cup (ACT) | 1 |
| Football NSW | Waratah Cup | 4 |
| Northern NSW Football | Northern NSW State Cup | 2 |
| Football Northern Territory | NT Australia Cup Final | 1 |
| Football Queensland | Kappa Queensland Cup | 4 |
| Football South Australia | Federation Cup (SA) | 2 |
| Football Tasmania | Milan Lakoseljac Cup | 1 |
| Football Victoria | Dockerty Cup | 4 |
| Football West (WA) | State Cup | 2 |
Teams
A total of 32 teams participated in the competition proper; this included all ten of the Australian-based A-League Men's clubs, plus South Melbourne as the winner of the 2025 Australian Championship. The remaining 21 teams were from member state federations, as determined by the qualifying rounds. A-League Men clubs represent the highest level in the Australian league system, whereas Member Federation clubs come from level 2 and below.
| A-League Men clubs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide United | Brisbane Roar | Central Coast Mariners | Macarthur FC | Melbourne City | |
| Melbourne Victory | Newcastle Jets | Perth Glory | Sydney FC | Western Sydney Wanderers | |
| Member federation clubs | |||||
 Tigers FC (2) |
 APIA Leichhardt (2) |
SD Raiders (2) |
Sydney Olympic (2) |
Sydney United 58 (2) | |
| Maitland FC (2) |
Weston Bears (2) |
 Azzurri United (2) |
 Peninsula Power (2) |
Marlin Coast Rangers (5) | |
| Lions FC (2) |
Rochedale Rovers (2) |
 Cumberland United (3) |
FK Beograd (2) |
 Kingborough Lions United (2) | |
 Brunswick Juventus (3) |
Heidelberg United (2) |
North Sunshine Eagles (3) |
Preston Lions (2) |
South Melbourne (2) | |
 Bayswater City (2) |
Fremantle City (2) |
||||
Bracket
Round of 32
The draw took place on 22 June 2026[7] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round was Marlin Coast Rangers; they were the only level five team left in the competition.
Times are AEST (UTC+10) as listed by Football Australia (local times, if different, are in parentheses).
| 14 July 2026 | APIA Leichhardt (2) | 2–1 | Peninsula Power (2) | Sydney |
| 19:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Leichhardt Oval Attendance: 648 Referee: Adam Bavcar |
| 14 July 2026 | Rochedale Rovers (2) | 1–2 | SD Raiders (2) | Brisbane |
| 19:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Underwood Park Attendance: 1,136 Referee: Mackenzie Janes |
| 15 July 2026 | Marlin Coast Rangers (5) | 0–4 | Brunswick Juventus (3) | Cairns |
| 19:30 | Report |
|
Stadium: Barlow Park Attendance: 1,010 Referee: Noah Moss |
| 15 July 2026 | FK Beograd (2) | 2–3 | North Sunshine Eagles (3) | Adelaide |
| 20:00 (19:30 ACST) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: 1Solution Park Attendance: 1,603 Referee: Tom Brinkworth |
| 21 July 2026 | Preston Lions (2) | 3–2 | Newcastle Jets (1) | Melbourne |
| 19:30 |
|
Report | Stadium: Genis Steel Stadium Attendance: 4,334 Referee: Eric Saba |
| 21 July 2026 | Lions FC (2) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p) | Perth Glory (1) | Brisbane |
| 19:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Spencer Park Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Tom Fell |
| Penalties | ||||
|
|
|||
| 21 July 2026 | Cumberland United (3) | 0–3 | Heidelberg United (2) | Adelaide |
| 20:00 (19:30 ACST) | Report |
|
Stadium: Lady Burra Stadium Attendance: 1,022 Referee: Jayden Betterman |
| 21 July 2026 | Bayswater City (2) | 1–5 | Sydney FC (1) | Perth |
| 20:30 (18:30 AWST) |
|
Report | Stadium: Frank Drago Reserve Attendance: 1,052 Referee: Michael Ouliaris |
| 22 July 2026 | Sydney United 58 (2) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (11–10 p) | Central Coast Mariners (1) | Sydney |
| 19:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Sydney United Sports Centre Attendance: 2,578 Referee: Sophie Allum |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 22 July 2026 | Maitland FC (2) | 1–2 | Fremantle City (2) | Maitland |
| 19:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Maitland Regional Sportsground Attendance: 987 Referee: Charles Hollings |
| 22 July 2026 | Tigers FC (2) | 0–2 | Western Sydney Wanderers (1) | Canberra |
| 19:30 | Report | Stadium: McKellar Park Attendance: 1,948 Referee: Christopher Hodson |
| 22 July 2026 | Azzurri United (2) | 0–3 | Macarthur FC (1) | Darwin |
| 20:00 (19:30 ACST) | Report | Stadium: Darwin Football Stadium Referee: Jack Powers |
| 26 July 2026 | Weston Bears (2) | 0–3 | Melbourne City (1) | Weston |
| 14:00 | Report | Stadium: Hunter City Motor Group Stadium Attendance: 1,750 Referee: Joshua Attard |
| 26 July 2026 | Kingborough Lions United (2) | 0–4 | Melbourne Victory (1) | Kingston |
| 17:00 | Report | Stadium: Kitchen Centre Park Attendance: 2,875 |
| 30 July 2026 | South Melbourne (2) | 2–1 | Adelaide United (1) | Melbourne |
| 19:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Lakeside Stadium Attendance: 3,080 Referee: Declan Woods |
| 30 July 2026 | Sydney Olympic (2) | 0–3 | Brisbane Roar (1) | Sydney |
| 19:30 | Report | Stadium: Belmore Sports Ground Attendance: 1,115 Referee: Rowan Fisher |
Round of 16
The draw for the remaining rounds took place on 30 July.[8][9] The lowest ranked sides that qualified for this round were Brunswick Juventus and North Sunshine Eagles. They were the only level 3 teams left in the competition.
Times are AEST (UTC+10) as listed by Football Australia (local times, if different, are in parentheses).
| 8 August 2026 | Western Sydney Wanderers (1) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–3 p) | Melbourne Victory (1) | Sydney |
| 19:30 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Marconi Stadium Attendance: 2,978 Referee: Adam Bavcar |
| Penalties | ||||
| 9 August 2026 | Brisbane Roar (1) | 2–4 | Sydney FC (1) | Brisbane |
| 17:00 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Spencer Park Attendance: 3,800 Referee: Tom Fell |
| 9 August 2026 | South Melbourne (2) | 3–3 (a.e.t.) (3–1 p) | Fremantle City (2) | Melbourne |
| 19:40 | Report | Stadium: Lakeside Stadium Attendance: 2,035 Referee: Jock Quartermain | ||
| Penalties | ||||
|
|
|||
| 11 August 2026 | Lions FC (2) | 2–0 | Melbourne City (1) | Brisbane |
| 19:30 |
|
Report | Stadium: Spencer Park Referee: Mackenzie Janes |
| 11 August 2026 | SD Raiders (2) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p) | Macarthur FC (1) | Sydney |
| 19:30 | Report |
|
Stadium: Fairfield Showground Attendance: 1,946 Referee: Noah Moss | |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 12 August 2026 | APIA Leichhardt (2) | v | Sydney United 58 (2) | Sydney |
| 19:30 | Stadium: Leichhardt Oval Referee: Tom Dale |
| 12 August 2026 | Brunswick Juventus (3) | v | Preston Lions (2) | Melbourne |
| 19:30 | Stadium: CB Smith Reserve Attendance: 2,648 Referee: Lucas Mattia |
| 12 August 2026 | North Sunshine Eagles (3) | v | Heidelberg United (2) | Melbourne |
| 19:45 | Stadium: Nasiol Stadium Referee: Michael Ouliaris |
Notes
- This included Western United, who entered their youth team in the Victorian preliminary rounds,[2] as the club's A-League licence is dormant.[5]