Australia Cup final LIVE: South Melbourne take on Melbourne Victory in historic decider

Vince RugariUpdated October 10, 2026 — 7:32pm,first published 6:56pmKey Posts7.32pmAnge Postecoglou will be watching from RiyadhBy ... the former coach of both of tonight’s combatants was even asked about it in his post-match press conference after Al-Nassr beat Diriyah 3-0.7.17pmWhy does this game matter so much? Here’s some light readingBy If you’re not an Australian soccer sicko like me (and many others), you might be wondering why this game has been built up to be such a big deal.We’ve got two pieces for you to read, explaining exactly why that’s the case. This isn’t just about the past meeting the present - it’s also about the future of the sport and the purpose of the A-League.The day after South Melbourne clinched their spot in the final, a good three weeks ago, I wrote this story, which looks at how the Australia Cup (formerly FFA Cup) revived dormant conversations about promotion and relegation, a mooted national second division and the role of clubs outside of the top tier - and then why South vs Victory in particular is loaded with so much meaning.And then yesterday (or in today’s papers), we’ve produced a closer look at South Melbourne’s recent transformation, and how realistic the prospects are of them getting an A-League licence, and when.Enjoy.South Melbourne players celebrate their semi-final win.Getty Images7.09pmVictory ready for South to bring the noise in Cup finalBy AAPMelbourne Victory are ready for a somewhat unfamiliar proposition in the Australia Cup final: an AAMI Park crowd that isn’t overwhelmingly in their favour.Even derbies against Melbourne City are traditionally dominated by Victory fans.But Saturday night’s crowd is expected to be approximately 50 per cent Victory, 50 per cent South Melbourne - with the former maybe having a slight edge.“I’m going to be honest - it’s probably the first time ever playing for Melbourne Victory that there’s anyone coming close to giving us a run for our money in regards to our fan base,” Victory captain Jason Davidson said.Melbourne Victory’s Jason Davidson.Joe Armao6.54pmPOLL: Who will win?By 6.54pmThe starting lists are in...By 6.49pmHello and welcome!By G’day football/soccer/sokkah fans. What a night we have in store for us. Vince Rugari here, live from a sold-out AAMI Park in Melbourne ahead of one of, if not the biggest and/or most significant matches in the history of this game at domestic level in Australia.It’s the one we’ve been waiting for. Well, one of them; we’re still hanging out for that Socceroos vs Iran rematch, but this is the other clash of the titans that has, until now, eluded us. South Melbourne vs Melbourne Victory in the final of the 2026 Australia Cup.Melbourne Victory coach Giovanni Savarese and South Melbourne FC coach Sinisa Cohadzic with the prize up for grabs tonight.Joe ArmaoThe NSL vs the A-League. ‘Old soccer’ against ‘new football’. Of course, it’s a little bit more complex than that, but that’s the broad framing for this game, and it’s the reason why tickets were snapped up within 48 hours of going on sale.Will Victory reassert themselves as the big dogs in this part of the world, and clinch their first piece of silverware since 2018? Or will South Melbourne become the first NPL team to win this tournament and strengthen their case for a spot in the A-League?All will be revealed soon. Kick-off, despite being advertised in various places as 7.35pm AEDT, is expected to be closer to 7.50pm. We’ll have all the action, as it happens, right here for you.1 of 1