Football Australia today confirmed key dates for the Australia Cup 2022 Final Rounds including the Round of 32 Live Draw and when the Final will be played.
2022 heralded a new era for Australia’s largest national knockout football competition, with the tournament being renamed to become the Australia Cup, to both reflect the nationwide nature of the competition and acknowledge Australian football’s storied past – where from 1962 to 1968, the original Australia Cup was contested between leading state league teams of the time.
This year, 742 clubs from all divisions of football across Australia – grassroots, amateur, and professional levels – have or will participate in the Australia Cup, with Football Australia today confirming that the 2022 Final to be contested on Saturday, 1 October at city/venue to be announced.
The Australia Cup Round of 32 Live Draw will be conducted on Wednesday, 29 June 2022 at 7.30pm AEST and broadcast LIVE on 10 Play plus streamed via official Australia Cup Facebook and My Football YouTube accounts.
Australia Cup 2022 Round of 32 Live Draw
Date: Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Time: 7:30pm AEST
How to watch: LIVE on 10 Play, Australia Cup Facebook & My Football YouTube
How to follow: Follow Australia Cup Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
How to interact: #MagicOfTheCup
Final 32 Teams
Qualifying matches are still being contested this week and next week in Northern NSW, Queensland, and South Australia to determine the final 32 teams.
The teams who have so far qualified for the Round of 32 are listed below (in no particular order), and include Final Rounds debuts for Brisbane City FC, Mindil Aces FC, Monaro Panthers, NWS Spirit FC, and Wollongong United.
| Melbourne City | Melbourne Victory | Western United | Adelaide United |
| Central Coast Mariners | Wellington Phoenix | Macarthur FC | Sydney FC |
| Newcastle Jets | Brisbane Roar | Monaro Panthers (ACT) | Oakleigh Cannons (VIC) |
| Green Gully (VIC) | Heidelberg United (VIC) | Avondale FC (VIC) | Bentleigh Greens (VIC) |
| Devonport Strikers (TAS) | Mindil Aces FC (NT) | Wollongong United (NSW) | Sydney United FC (NSW) |
| NWS Spirit FC (NSW) | Bonnyrigg White Eagles (NSW) | Brisbane City (QLD) | Peninsula Power (QLD) |
| Adelaide City FC (SA) | Armadale SC (WA) | Cockburn City (WA) |
Australia Cup 2022 Draw Principles
The Australia Cup 2022 Draw Principles are designed to provide the guidelines for the 2022 Competition draw process.
- Australia Cup Final Rounds matches will be decided via a live draw on a date and time confirmed by Football Australia.
- Each Australia Cup Final Rounds entrant will be placed in the ball pot.
- In accordance with the Competition Regulations for Australia Cup Final Rounds matches other than the Australia Cup Final, the Home Club for each Australia Cup Match will be determined as follows:
- Where Australia Cup matches involve only Member Federation Clubs, the first drawn Club;
- Where Australia Cup Matches involve a Member Federation Club and an Isuzu UTE A-League Men Club, the Member Federation Club; and
- Where Australia Cup Matches involve only Isuzu UTE A-League Men Clubs, the first drawn Club.
- In all instances, Wellington Phoenix FC will be deemed the Away Club, irrespective of whether it is the first drawn Club.
The geographical zone format used in the Round of 32 and Round of 16 in 2021, will not be utilised in 2022. The draw will be entirely open throughout the Final Rounds.
Round of 32:
- The Australia Cup Round of 32 will be played over three (3) weeks in late July and early August.
- Football Australia will place thirty-two (32) balls containing the names of the qualified Clubs into the one (1) pot, in an open draw.
- Balls will be drawn out one at a time, revealing sixteen (16) matches, until all balls have been drawn from the pot
Round of 16, Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals:
- For the Round of 16 onwards (excluding the Cup Final), the balls containing the names of all participating Clubs will be placed in one (1) pot. The balls will be drawn, opened, and revealed one at a time, until all balls have been drawn.
Cup Final:
- The selection of the Host Venue for the Australia Cup Final will be determined by Football Australia and announced in due course.
- The Australia Cup 2022 winners will gain direct entry Into the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup in 2023.
Australia Cup 2022 Match Schedule Summary*
Matches will be scheduled across the match dates shown in the table below, which will include enhanced production of mid-week match nights and more weekend football than ever before.
| Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarter Finals** | Semi-Finals** | Final |
| 16 matches, 3 weeks | 8 matches, 2 weeks | 4 matches, 1 week | 2 matches, 1 week | 1 match |
| 21 July | 10 August | 27 August | 10 September | 1 October |
| 23 July | 13 August | 28 August | 11 September | |
| 24 July | 14 August | 30 August | 13 September | |
| 27 July | 17 August | 31 August | 14 September | |
| 31 July | ||||
| 4 July |
* Opening night to be contested on Thursday, 21 July.
** Midweek match days to be considered “Cup Night”, with Tuesday nights held in reserve for practical fixture reasons
*** Exact Quarter Finals and Semi-Final match days to be confirmed
All Australia Cup 2022 Final Rounds matches will be broadcast LIVE and FREE on 10 Play, with thanks to the Football Australia’s Broadcast Partner, Network 10.
