Football Queensland (FQ) has unveiled its 2024-2026 Infrastructure Strategy, outlining its strategic plan to advance football infrastructure and support the ongoing growth of the game across Queensland.
The release of the 2024-2026 Infrastructure Strategy is a continuation of FQ’s deliberate and ongoing commitment to collaborating with governments to secure investment and support to address the critical shortage of facilities statewide.
“We are delighted to release the 2024-2026 Infrastructure Strategy, which builds on our previous 2020 – 2024 Infrastructure Strategy and details our roadmap to securing the vital investment required in our greenspace to build capacity as we work towards achieving our goal of 50/50 gender parity by 2027,” FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci said.
“Football, as Queensland’s leading team participation sport, continues to grow annually at a double-digit rate, with a staggering 44% surge in female participation (and 29% overall growth) in outdoor players alone in the first quarter of 2024 following the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, yet from an infrastructure perspective, based on its continued growth, the game has reached a critical crossroads due to historical underinvestment.
“The high demand for the game and the strain on our statewide greenspaces is forcing our community clubs to turn away new members, while FQ is operating its own high-performance programs across three fractured site locations, placing increased stress on resourcing and negatively impacting program delivery for our next generation.
“In this strategy, FQ outlines its plan to leverage the sport’s influence and global reach to address the major deficiencies in football’s current infrastructure through increased government investment and support across three key priorities; the State Home of Community Football, the Community Infrastructure Fund and the Tier 2 Stadium.
“These three priorities are designed to benefit both community grassroots players and those in our FQ Academy and high-performance programs, as we look to expand our state’s capacity and capability to ensure football remains a game accessible for all.
“As Australia and Queensland prepare to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, the strategy emphasises the importance of improving facilities now to support young grassroots players in community clubs, nurturing their development and fostering their dreams of representing their country on the global stage.
“Football’s impact extends far beyond athletic benefits —it builds social connections, improves health outcomes, and drives economic benefits, as evidenced by the positive impact across multiple demographics following the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.
“By improving access to expanded programs and pathways from grassroots to elite levels, we aim to inspire and attract the next generation by building a sustainable football ecosystem that ensures equal access and excellence for all Queenslanders.”
Football Queensland will continue to consult and collaborate with the football community to deliver on the targets set out in the 2024-2026 Infrastructure Strategy and witness the positive impact on the game’s future.
Download Football Queensland’s 2024-2026 Infrastructure Strategy here.
