The first known soccer (or ‘football’) match played at the MCG was between Victoria and Tasmania on July 17, 1912. Since then, there have been more than 45 soccer matches at the ground, ranging from friendlies through to World Cup qualifiers and Olympic competition.
The record crowd for an MCG soccer match is 95,103 on May 25, 2006 when the Australian team took on European champions Greece before departing for the FIFA World Cup.
The MCG also hosted the Socceroos in 2007, when an Argentinean line-up boasting Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez defeated the home side 1-0 in a friendly.
In 2000, the MCG hosted a number of matches in the Olympic football tournament, including an Australia-Italy group match that drew 93,225 fans through the turnstiles. The MCG also hosted an Olympic quarter final and semi final.
Some of the most famous soccer teams in the world have graced the MCG turf, including Manchester United (1999), Brazil (1999), France (2001), Greece (2006) and Argentina (2007).
The MCG’s record in Australia’s World Cup qualifiers, though, is an unhappy one. In 1997, a FIFA World Cup qualifier between the Socceroos and Iran was drawn 2-2, with Iran progressing on the away goal rule.
Although Australia defeated Uruguay 1-0 in 2001, Uruguay progressed to the 2002 FIFA World Cup after later winning the second leg 3-0.
In 2006, the then Victorian premier Steve Bracks and Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy announced that the MCG would host a world class soccer event each year from 2006 until 2009 inclusive.
The most recent soccer match at the MCG was held on May 24, 2010 when the Socceroos defeated New Zealand in front of 55,659 spectators before departing to compete in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
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