Football Australia $15M Loss: Staff Cuts Loom After Record Deficit

Football Australia posts record loss despite Matildas' commercial surge  

FA confirms record loss for 2025, nearly double last year’s figure. The governing body cites legal fees and staffing costs, and may cut 20% of staff.

FA will report a $15M loss for 2025. CEO says the body failed to fully capitalise on hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup...

Football Australia (FA) is set to announce a record $15 million loss for 2025 at its annual general meeting next week. The deficit has been driven up by rising staffing costs and legal expenses from a dispute with the A-League’s management.

The figures, first reported in local media and confirmed by FA, come despite record revenue of nearly $140 million. The loss is almost double the $8.5 million deficit recorded in 2024.

On Tuesday, FA chief executive Martin Kugeler told Australian media that the governing body may cut a fifth of its staff to “live within (their) means.”

“Increasing losses year-on-year is obviously not a situation that is sustainable or acceptable,” Kugeler said.

FA said on Tuesday it had settled its long-running dispute with Australian Professional Leagues, which runs the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions.

The dispute focused on historic debts owed between the two organisations.

Australia co-hosted the 2023 Women’s World Cup with New Zealand, and also hosted the Women’s Asian Cup in March.

More than 20 percent of staff at Football Australia are currently being told their positions are redundant.
CEO Martin Kugeler said FA's financial position is, "Not sustainable or acceptable".
The 2025 losses are said to be more than the $8.5 million deficit of 2024.#football… pic.twitter.com/HsEyNpSj90

— Tracey Holmes (@TraceyLeeHolmes) May 19, 2026

FA called the World Cup a major success, with large crowds attending matches and Australia’s women making it to the semi-finals.

The Matildas have since become a key commercial driver for FA, attracting new sponsorship deals and strong ticket sales on match days. However, Kugeler said FA had not fully capitalised on hosting the World Cup.