Caitlin Foord Shines with 150th Appearance as Matildas Triumph
The first meeting stung.
Australia’s 1-0 home defeat to Mexico on Saturday felt flat, a false note at the start of a World Cup cycle. Steph Catley didn’t sugar-coat it. “It’s disappointing, but there’s also the realisation that we’re at the very start of a journey towards the World Cup,” she said, framing the loss as a beginning rather than a setback.
Four days later, the response arrived. Emphatic, and laced with milestones.
Foord’s landmark night
On Tuesday, the Matildas flipped the script with a 3-1 win over the same opponents, a performance that carried far more of their usual edge. Foord, wearing the captain’s armband, turned the night into a personal landmark.
On her 150th appearance for Australia, she delivered the kind of goal that sums up her international career: strong, decisive, ruthless. She rolled her defender with sheer physicality, carved out half a yard, and guided the ball inside the far post for Australia’s third of the evening.
That finish did more than seal the victory. It lifted Foord into rare company as the joint-third highest goalscorer in Matildas history, now sitting on 41 goals. A captain’s display, a goalscorer’s instinct, and a record-book rewrite all in one swing of the right boot.
Catley, who had ridden out the disappointment of the first defeat, anchored the side again and played the full 90 minutes in the rematch, a steadying presence down the flank across both fixtures.
Afterwards, Foord allowed herself a moment to take it all in — not just her own landmark, but the shared journey. “To reach 100 is obviously huge, and for myself, 150 as well,” she said, nodding to Catley’s century of caps and her own milestone. “It’s nice to enjoy these moments together, and celebrate them, which we have during this series.”
The message was clear: this is a team building something, not just ticking off friendlies.
Lionesses win, but road to World Cup gets steeper
Across the world, the stakes were higher and the margins tighter. England needed a result and a performance. They got both, but not the clean route they wanted.
At Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Lionesses beat Ukraine 3-0 in FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying to steady themselves after recent frustration. Alessia Russo led the line for the full 90 minutes, a constant outlet and creator, and she played a key role in the second goal, laying on the assist for Georgia Stanway.
Chloe Kelly entered the fray in the 64th minute, adding energy and width, while Lotte Wubben-Moy watched from the bench as an unused substitute. The job on the night was done. The bigger objective slipped just out of reach.
Despite five wins from six in Group C, Sarina Wiegman’s side finished second, level on 15 points with Spain but edged out on goal difference. Automatic qualification vanished on a numbers game. The path now runs through October’s play-offs.
Russo didn’t hide the mixed emotions. “It’s nice to come back to England, play in front of all of our fans and get a win,” she said. “We also wanted to qualify automatically for the World Cup but now we’re going to the play-offs and that’s tough but it’s football. We had the toughest group playing Spain and we won five out of six games and have still not gone through.”
A dominant display, a clean sheet, and still no ticket booked. England will have to earn it the hard way.
Spain cruise, Sweden claw back
Spain, by contrast, made sure there was no drama. Mariona Caldentey started and played the first half of a ruthless 6-1 win away to Iceland on Tuesday, a result that swelled their goal difference and sealed qualification with authority. They didn’t just edge through; they stormed in.
Sweden’s route proved more complicated. At home to Italy, they fell 2-0 behind but refused to fold. Smilla Holmberg and Stina Blackstenius both went the distance in a spirited 2-2 draw that showcased resilience more than control. The point left Sweden third in Group A with eight points from six games and pushed them into the play-offs as well.
It wasn’t the smooth qualification campaign they wanted, but the fightback hinted at a team that won’t disappear quietly when the pressure rises.
North and South American tune-ups
Elsewhere, the focus was less on points and more on preparation.
Emily Fox put in a full 90 minutes for USA in Saturday’s 2-1 friendly defeat away to Brazil, then returned to start again on Wednesday, playing the first half of a 1-0 win over the same opponents. Two tight games, two different outcomes, and valuable minutes banked against high-calibre opposition.
Canada, meanwhile, cut loose. Olivia Smith played 63 minutes in a dominant 6-0 friendly win away to Costa Rica on Wednesday, part of a ruthless attacking display that underlined the depth and firepower in their squad.
At under-23 level, Germany’s Anneke Borbe stepped into the action at half-time in a 2-2 friendly draw at home to Denmark on Monday, another young goalkeeper gathering experience in a pressure-lite but instructive environment.
From Foord’s milestone in Australia to England’s looming play-off test and Spain’s swagger into the World Cup, this international window didn’t just move teams around groups and seedings. It drew early lines in the sand. Who’s already ready, who’s still searching, and who now has to walk the longest road to the biggest stage.
