Canberra (Australia): Matildas captain Sam Kerr has praised Australian football fans for their support during the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Matildas were on Sunday morning presented in front of fans in Brisbane after losing the World Cup third-place play-off to Sweden.
It marked Australia’s best-ever finish at a World Cup and was again watched by millions of people across the country, reports Xinhua.
Addressing the crowd, Kerr said it was a “dream come true” for the squad to play World Cup matches in front of sold-out crowds at stadiums in Australia.
“Me and the girls definitely felt the love,” she said.
“We see everything, we appreciate everything. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster but it’s been the best four weeks of our lives.”
The Matildas’ run has significantly boosted the profile of women’s sports in Australia, making the Australian players household names, and prompting governments to boost their funding for female athletes.
They were on Sunday presented with the key to the city of Brisbane – where they were based for much of the tournament — and a statue is set to be built outside Brisbane Stadium honouring the run.
Anika Wells, the Minister for Sport, said on Sunday that it was a “transformative” moment for Australian football.
“It’s been about those transformative little experiences that we’ve all been hearing about for a month,” she said.
“It’s about the fact that a girl came up to me on the street and said she played against Cortnee Vine back in the day and she has been inspired to sign back up after this.”
The 2023 World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, runs from July 20 to August 20.
Spain will meet England in the final in Sydney on Sunday.
–IANS
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