Australian soccer fans, particularly those supporting the Matildas, can finally get their hands on goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s purple jersey, six months after the Women’s World Cup.
The highly anticipated jersey will be available for purchase starting Tuesday through the Football Australia online store and Wednesday onwards at retailers, the governing body announced on Monday.
This comes after Arnold’s stellar performance at the World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, where she recorded a tournament-high four clean sheets and saved three penalties in the quarterfinal win against France, propelling the Matildas to the semifinals for the first time.
“The support we as goalkeepers have felt from our fans over the last year has been absolutely incredible,” Arnold expressed her gratitude. “It means so much to me that we can head into another crucial year for the team, and our sport, knowing our loved ones and fans will be with us every step of the way, proudly wearing our jerseys.”
The availability of goalkeeper jerseys for fans was a contentious issue during the World Cup, with Nike initially not offering them for sale. This sparked a campaign by England’s Mary Earps, urging the sportswear company to release them. Nike eventually acknowledged the missed opportunity and made goalkeeper jerseys available for four teams in August.
“With this release, our first-ever replica goalkeeper jersey for an Australian football team, we hope to see Aussie fans continue to show their unwavering support for the entire Matildas squad throughout this pivotal year,” stated Ashley Reade, Nike’s Pacific vice president and general manager, on the Football Australia website.
The jerseys are priced at AUD $125 (approx. USD $82) for adults and AUD $100 (approx. USD $66) for youngsters. The Matildas will next face Uzbekistan in a crucial Olympic qualifier on Wednesday in Melbourne, holding a comfortable 3-0 advantage from the first leg.
