South Melbourne will secure direct entry into the 2026 Australia Cup following their Australian Championship triumph, as Football Australia confirms major changes to the national knockout competition.
Under the revised format, the Australia Cup will now be open only to Australian clubs, meaning Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC have been excluded.
All 10 Australian A-League clubs are guaranteed places in the Round of 32, while South Melbourne qualifies automatically as winner of the 2025 Australian Championship.
Football Australia has also scrapped the playoff involving the bottom four A-League sides, with the competition set to run on a similar schedule to 2025, beginning during the A-League off-season and concluding on the eve of the new season.
It is understood the changes are aimed at aligning with Asian Football Confederation requirements. The Australia Cup winner will continue to qualify for the AFC Champions League Two, where Macarthur are currently competing.
As a result, 21 places will now be allocated through state Member Federation cup competitions, including four each from Football NSW, Football Victoria and Football Queensland, and smaller allocations across the remaining federations.
South Melbourne’s qualification comes despite the club also competing in the OFC Pro League, where it is not eligible to progress to continental competitions through Oceania.
