The Matildas may not have won on the scoreboard on Wednesday night, but they have gone down in history for smashing audience records that have lasted two decades.

More than 7 million Australians tuned in on free-to-air TV to watch their game, hitting the figure for the first time since the current ratings system began. Over the 90 minutes of play, 11.15 million Australians tuned in – more than 43 per cent of the population.