Matildas to play for third place in Brisbane after semi-final loss to England

The Matildas 3-1 loss to England in the World Cup semi-final will now see the Australians play Sweden for third place in Brisbane on Saturday.

Matilda Mary Fowler looks dejected after the team's 3-1 defeat against England on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

The Matildas will play for a podium World Cup finish on Saturday after a devastating 3-1 loss to England that dashed hopes of a first finals appearance.

The groundswell of support across the nation hit fever pitch on Wednesday evening as hundreds of thousands of spectators packed into live sites around the country to view the heated semi-final match.

But it was not meant to be.

The Australian team will now set its sights on securing third place on Saturday at Brisbane Stadium, 6pm, against Sweden.

England will line up against Spain on Sunday night, 8pm, at Stadium Australia in Sydney for a chance to lift the trophy.

Despite the disappointing finish to the Matildas’ World Cup campaign, the team’s record-setting performance has thrust women’s football into the limelight.

Supporters packed into Sydney Football Stadium in Moore Park and Western Sydney Stadium in Parramatta to watch the sold-out semi-final on big screens. Barriers at Melbourne’s Federation Square were pushed over by rowdy crowds, allowing hundreds to rush into the packed live site.

Brisbane CBD music venue Riverstage broadcast the game, complementing bustling scenes at South Bank and King Georges Square. It is understood in the case of an Australia-Spain final, Brisbane Stadium would have been transformed into a live site for the final.

Ahead of the game, a NSW government spokesperson said the team would be backed regardless of the result.

“No matter the result against England tonight the Matildas have captured the nation and to make it to a semi-final in a World Cup is an incredible achievement.”

The Queensland government merely voiced support for the team in the semi-finals when contacted for comment about preparations for a potential Matildas third-place playoff.

“As the Premier said earlier this week, one step at a time – we’re all focused on supporting the Matildas tonight and have every confidence they’ll do Australia proud,” a government spokesperson said.

Television audiences of the semi-final match are expected to trounce the record-breaking quarter-final viewership, said Colin Smith, director of sports rights consultancy Global Media and Sports.

“Four and a half to 4.6m, that would probably be the best ever … this could be the largest sports TV audience ever,” he said.

The loss also dashed talks of a national public holiday championed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese if the team had won.