Matildas v England guide: How to watch the World Cup in Canberra

If you think your heart can handle it, strap yourself in for another wild ride. Millions will be watching when the Matildas play England in Sydney, with an expected 80,000 in the stands and hundreds of thousands more at live sites or in pubs and clubs around the country.

The most popular team in Australian sports has captured a nation in a way few others can. Here's everything you need to know to get ready for the semi-final showdown.

The Matildas v England semi-final starts at 8pm, Wednesday, August 16. FIFA is pretty strict on the start time, so the teams will be on the field about 7.45-7.50pm for the pre-game anthems before kick-off happens just about bang on 8pm.

If you haven't already booked your favourite seat, you may have missed out.

Canberra clubs and pubs have been inundated with bookings, with The Dock at Kingston Foreshore reporting fans moved almost immediately to snap up tables when the Matildas beat France last weekend.

"It's the fastest we've ever booked out," owner Ben Alexander said.

There will be a live site at Garema Place, where the game will be played on the big screen. There will be toilets and security at the site, but people who want to go to the watch party have been urged to bring their own chairs, blankets, cushions, food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Bar Beirut has created a Matildas cocktail, while some outlets around the city are selling Matildas donuts.

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The University of Canberra will continue with its watch parties, which have been running since the start of the World Cup last month.

The Canberra Writers Festival, which begins on Wednesday night, will put the game on the big screen and move forward a speech by celebrity chef Elizabeth Chong.

Dendy Cinemas is also transforming its big screens from Barbie and Oppenheimer to the Matildas. It's offering a $15 ticket, which includes a medium popcorn and a drink.

If the Matildas beat England and make it through to the final, the ACT government is considering setting up a watch party at either Canberra Stadium or Manuka Oval on Sunday night.

If it's at Canberra Stadium, it would follow the NRL and NRLW double-header with the Raiders men to play the Bulldogs and the Raiders women to play the Eels on Sunday afternoon.

Yes. World Cup momentum has put the Matildas on the cusp of the unthinkable. They are just two wins away from lifting the World Cup, and their confidence has grown exponentially over the past two weeks.

The Matildas had the better of all of their opportunities against France in the quarter-final, and probably should have scored in regulation time to avoid a penalty shootout.

So the Matildas are good enough to beat England, and have the form to prove it after winning a match between the countries earlier this year. That 2-0 win to Australia ended England's 30-game winning streak.

But England will present a different challenge to France. England won the UEFA Women's Championship in front of more than 87,000 fans at Wembley last year, so they won't be worried about the delirious Matildas fans or the occasion.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has flagged the possibility of a public holiday to celebrate the Matildas if they win the World Cup final.

The Matildas, of course, have to get to the final first. It's likely the federal government will push ahead with the public holiday plan, despite the business community and the opposition trying to rain on the Matildas parade.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said a better reward for the Matildas would be investing in community sports facilities, announcing a $250 million fund over four years to upgrade venues if the Liberal-National coalition wins the next election.

But the NSW government has already declared its intention to back in a public holiday. Victoria and South Australia have been non committal, Tasmania opposes the plan and the ACT will back a national holiday.

Pubs and clubs have been booked out, big screens in parks and city centres have been set up all around the country and movie theatres are even being converted to makeshift sports hubs.

There are plenty of ways to get your Matildas fix. If you'd prefer to watch from home, the game will be live on Channel Seven, 7Plus and Optus Sports. Make sure you've got those stations correct. Barnaby Joyce tuned into the wrong channel and watched the wrong game on the weekend. Don't be like Barnaby.

Tickets to the game have already been snapped up, but some Matildas fans have been creative and snatched spots in the official England supporters' section at Homebush.

There were 2000 tickets allocated to England. But the code to get those was leaked online and Matildas fans pounced. Hopefully a sign of things to come on Wednesday.

Well, their biggest weapon is not even playing. Lauren James is still serving a suspension after stomping on an opponent in the round of 16 win against Nigeria.

James' absence has left a hole in England's attack, but they managed fine without her in the quarter-final against Colombia. Most of their players have big-game experience and Lauren Hemp will step up in James' absence.

At the other end, Mary Earps is widely regarded as one of the world's best shot stoppers. She won FIFA's goalkeeper of the year award last year and England has conceded just two goals in five games so far this tournament.

The battle between Earps and the Sam Kerr/Mary Fowler combination will be the game breaker.

Matildas fever will be impossible to contain if they book a spot in the final. Playing in a home World Cup final would be one of the biggest - if not the biggest - moment in Australian sporting history.

The winner of the Australia-England game will advance to the final, which will be played at Homebush on Sunday night.

The loser will have to pick themselves up, regroup and play in the third-place play-off in Brisbane on Saturday night.