Japan defeated Australia 1-0 in the Women’s Asian Cup final, winning the tournament for the third time in four tournaments.
Published March 21, 2026
Maika Hamano scored the only goal as a formidable Japan defeated Australia to win their third Women’s Asian Cup title in front of a record 74,357 fans in Sydney.
The Tottenham star broke Australian hearts with a stunning long-range shot in the 17th minute at Stadium Australia, adding to his continental title run in 2014 and 2018.
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They also played against Australia in the final, which ended 1-0.
The tightly packed final culminated a landmark tournament that saw more than 350,000 fans at the turnstiles, confirming the growing popularity of the women’s game.
This is approximately six times the previous tournament record set in China in 2010, and the final game set a new record for attendance for a single game in the tournament’s history.
The Asian Cup also serves as a qualifier for next year’s World Cup to be held in Brazil, with Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, North Korea and the Philippines qualifying for the tournament.
The Japanese team, whose players were based in England, had an unbeatable run until the final, running fluidly around the park, defending well and overwhelming everyone in front of them.
Australia faced a tougher test, but there was nothing to stop them as they racked up 29 goals and conceded just one goal through six matches in the tournament, cementing their status as Asia’s number one team.
Japan named the same lineup from when they defeated South Korea 4-1 in the semifinals.
Australia made one change to the team that defeated defending champions China 2-1 in the last four, with Wini Heatley in charge of central defense instead of Claire Hunt.
The hosts looked composed from the start and Caitlin Ford should have scored in the 11th minute when Mary Fowler threaded a pass into the box.
However, the unmarked Arsenal striker missed a golden opportunity by hitting his shot directly into the arm of Japan keeper Ayaka Yamashita.
Six minutes later, Tottenham midfielder Hamano collected the ball outside the penalty area and fired a 25-yard rocket, allowing Japan to break the deadlock and score the top corner.
Ford had another chance when he pounced on Yamashita’s sloppy clearance, but he couldn’t get his target from the angle and scraped wide again just before the break.
Japan were always a threat and West Ham’s Riko Ueki came close to scoring twice in as many minutes immediately after the restart.
The match was tense and with the crowd roaring at its peak, Australia gave their all to Japan in a desperate attempt to find an equalizer.
Alana Kennedy almost scored a late equalizer in the 88th minute, but despite intense pressure, Japan held firm to absorb the threat and hold on for the win.
