Socceroos

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:09): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: I rise today to extend my wholehearted congratulations, the congratulations of this place and, I am certain, the congratulations of the other place too, to our beloved Socceroos, who in the early hours of this morning rocked the soccer world by beating Denmark 1-0 and qualifying for the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar.

One of the things that brings people together is watching our national teams compete at the highest level. The FIFA Football World Cup is the pinnacle of this sport. It is hard to identify a bigger sporting tournament. This morning showed that football here is alive and well and continues to bring so much joy. Our Socceroos had to do it the hard way, after losing to France in their first game, but they did it. Many said they could not, but they showed such incredible determination and skill.

I extend my congratulations in particular to the South Australians in the team: Craig Goodwin, Awer Mabil, Riley McGree and Thomas Deng. We should also mention this morning's goal scorer, Matthew Leckie, who, whilst not South Australian, got his first professional contract and made his name at Adelaide United.

I encourage South Australians to make their way to Telstra Plaza on Sunday morning to watch the game live, and I thank the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority for facilitating the screening of the match on the big screens. Argentina awaits—a monumental task—but football is a wonderful and surprising game and all it takes sometimes is one moment to do what may seem impossible. Go Socceroos!

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: Their remarkable efforts add to the excitement that is building as we get ready to host, together with New Zealand, the FIFA Women's World Cup in around eight months. Just as we are all inspired by our incredible Socceroos, we also look forward to cheering on the Matildas in their fight to become the 2023 world champions—and wouldn't it be a dream come true to see them do so on their home soil. Go Matildas!

Honourable members: Hear, hear!