From starting out as a junior at Dudley Redhead United to becoming a record-breaking figure on the international stage, Emily van Egmond’s journey is the stuff of dreams.
Van Egmond, a Northern NSW Football product, officially became the most capped Australian footballer of all time on Tuesday evening, when the Matildas took on China PR in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 semi-final.
Van Egmond became Matilda #172 on March 6 2010, when she took the field against Korea DPR.
She played her first major tournament the following year, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011, where she became the second youngest goalscorer in Women’s World Cup history against Equatorial Guinea.
“Being part of the team from such a young age and seeing how it’s changed and grown has been amazing,” van Egmond told Football Australia media.
“From the beginning, the generations of Matildas before us, to the support we saw at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, it has been incredible. It’s just been a massive honour.
“To still be part of the team after 15 years and to be going into the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, another major tournament on home soil, is just so exciting and I’m so grateful.”
Van Egmond’s career has spanned across teams in the A-League Women’s, most notably local club Newcastle Jets, as well as in Denmark, the UK, the United States and Germany.
Composure and decision-making are at the heart of the midfielder's role, with a focus on control and precision in possession, something her varied experiences have helped her develop.
“I do enjoy getting the ball and dictating the game,” van Egmond said.
“I also love good passing technique and knowledge, like, what to use in certain situations whether it’s a cross, a driven ball or a simple pass.
“To some, a ball may look like a simple pass but in fact that pass has just taken two lines out of the game, which has given your teammates so much more time to be able to do their job.”
Van Egmond and the Matildas will go head-to-head with Japan in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 final on Saturday 21 March at 8pm.
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