Our tips and predictions for all eight Australia Cup Round of 16 ties, 8 to 12 August 2026, after three A-League clubs were knocked out by lower-league opposition in the Round of 32.
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The Australia Cup (formerly the FFA Cup) is Australia’s national knockout football competition. Open to clubs from all levels of Australian football, the Australia Cup provides a rare opportunity for lower-league teams to take on A-League opposition in a giant-killing format.
Renamed from the FFA Cup in 2022, the Australia Cup runs from early rounds (featuring state league and NPL clubs) through to a final contested by the last two teams standing. A-League clubs enter in the later rounds, creating the potential for David-versus-Goliath upsets.
The competition is run by Football Australia and provides a pathway for non-professional clubs to compete against the best in the country.
Match Result: Back the favourite or look for upset value in early rounds.
Over/Under Goals: Mismatches in early rounds often produce high-scoring games.
Outright Winner: Back a team to win the Australia Cup before the tournament starts.
The 2026 Hahn Australia Cup runs from July through to the final in October. Thirty-two clubs entered the final rounds, with A-League sides joining the state league and NPL clubs who came through the qualifying rounds.
| Round | 2026 dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 14 to 30 July | Complete |
| Round of 16 | 8 to 12 August | Complete |
| Quarter-finals | 18 to 23 August | Draw made after the Round of 16 |
| Semi-finals | 8 to 20 September | To be scheduled |
| Final | 10 October | Venue confirmed after the semi-finals |
Fixtures at this level are scheduled around NPL commitments and ground availability, so kick-off times and venues can move. We publish a tips and predictions post for every knockout round, starting with our Australia Cup Round of 16 tips.
The Australia Cup is a straight knockout from start to finish. There are no replays and no group stage, and that format is exactly why it produces upsets every single year.
Football Australia’s broadcast partners for the Australia Cup are Network 10 and Paramount+. Selected matches are shown free-to-air on 10 and 10 Play, with broader coverage on Paramount+, and the semi-finals and final get the fullest production of the tournament.
Because ties are spread across five days and multiple states, always check the channel and kick-off time for the specific match. Weeknight NPL venues are not always televised, and the smaller ties are the ones most likely to be stream-only.
Every Australia Cup and FFA Cup final since the competition began in 2014. The 2020 edition was cancelled.
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Newcastle Jets | 3-1 (a.e.t.) | Heidelberg United |
| 2024 | Macarthur FC | 1-0 | Melbourne Victory |
| 2023 | Sydney FC | 3-1 | Brisbane Roar |
| 2022 | Macarthur FC | 2-0 | Sydney United 58 |
| 2021 | Melbourne Victory | 2-1 | Central Coast Mariners |
| 2020 | Cancelled | — | — |
| 2019 | Adelaide United | 4-0 | Melbourne City |
| 2018 | Adelaide United | 2-1 | Sydney FC |
| 2017 | Sydney FC | 2-1 (a.e.t.) | Adelaide United |
| 2016 | Melbourne City | 1-0 | Sydney FC |
| 2015 | Melbourne Victory | 2-0 | Perth Glory |
| 2014 | Adelaide United | 1-0 | Perth Glory |
Adelaide United are the most successful club with three titles (2014, 2018 and 2019). Macarthur FC, Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC have two each. No club from outside the A-League has ever won it, though two have gone close: Sydney United 58 became the first NPL club to reach a final in 2022, and Heidelberg United took Newcastle Jets to extra time in the 2025 decider.
They are the same competition. It launched in 2014 as the FFA Cup, named after Football Federation Australia, and was rebranded as the Australia Cup in 2022 when the governing body became Football Australia. Nothing about the format changed: same open knockout, same qualifying pathway, same trophy lineage.
That is why our honour roll above runs unbroken from the first FFA Cup final in 2014 through to the most recent Australia Cup final. If you are searching for FFA Cup results, FFA Cup winners or FFA Cup betting, this is the page you want. The current commercial name is the Hahn Australia Cup under its naming-rights sponsor.
This is the only competition in Australian football where a semi-professional club can knock out an A-League side, and 2026 has already delivered a spectacular example.
The defending champions are out. Newcastle Jets, who won the 2025 final, were beaten 3-2 by Preston Lions in the Round of 32. They were not alone: Lions FC eliminated Perth Glory 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, and Sydney United 58 knocked out Central Coast Mariners.
The knock-on effect shaped the whole competition. Four of the eight Round of 16 ties were all-NPL affairs, guaranteeing multiple lower-league clubs in the quarter-finals, including 2025 runners-up Heidelberg United and 2022 finalists Sydney United 58. For punters, that is the single most important thing to understand about this competition: the market’s respect for A-League status is routinely too generous.
Cup football does not price like league football, and three distinctions decide whether a bet is value or a trap.
The standard match-result market is a three-way market settled after 90 minutes, so the draw is live. A favourite at $2.25 in that market is not $2.25 to reach the next round. If you want a team to progress, use the to-advance or to-qualify market, which prices extra time and penalties into the outcome.
A penalty shootout removes almost every structural advantage a professional squad has. Lions FC beat Perth Glory 4-2 on penalties in 2026. If you fancy an upset, the to-advance price on the underdog is usually far better value than the 90-minute win.
Small grounds, tight pitches, poor lighting and midweek kick-offs all narrow the gap. When an A-League club travels to an NPL ground on a Tuesday night, treat the handicap and total-goals lines as more reliable than the head-to-head.
A-League clubs rest key players in early cup rounds, particularly with a league season approaching. Team news matters more here than in any league fixture, so wait for confirmed line-ups where you can.
What is the Australia Cup?
The Australia Cup is Australia’s national knockout football competition, run by Football Australia and open to clubs from every level of the game. It was called the FFA Cup from 2014 until it was renamed in 2022.
What channel is the Australia Cup on?
Network 10 and Paramount+ hold the Australian broadcast rights. Selected matches are free-to-air on 10 and 10 Play, with wider coverage on Paramount+.
When is the 2026 Australia Cup final?
The 2026 final is scheduled for 10 October. The venue is confirmed after the semi-finals, which are played between 8 and 20 September.
Who has won the most Australia Cups?
Adelaide United, with three titles in 2014, 2018 and 2019. Macarthur FC, Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC have two each.
Has a non-A-League club ever won the Australia Cup?
No. Sydney United 58 became the first NPL club to reach a final in 2022 and Heidelberg United pushed Newcastle Jets to extra time in the 2025 final, but no club from outside the A-League has lifted the trophy.
Is the Australia Cup the same as the FFA Cup?
Yes. The FFA Cup was renamed the Australia Cup in 2022 after Football Federation Australia became Football Australia. It is the same competition with the same honour roll, running unbroken since 2014.
What happens if an Australia Cup match is drawn?
It goes to extra time and then a penalty shootout. There are no replays and no second legs at any stage.
Where can I find Australia Cup tips?
We publish tips and predictions for every knockout round. Start with our Australia Cup Round of 16 tips.
For more football betting coverage, visit our soccer hub and A-League tips.
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