Days after Ange Postecoglou's Europa League triumph, three Australian women will contest the Champions League final with the hope of further validating the nation's growing football prominence on the European stage.
On Sunday morning (AEST), Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, and Kyra Cooney-Cross will suit up for Arsenal against Barcelona in one of the toughest tests in women's football - the UEFA Women's Champions League final.
"Us three, we're from Australia, we're from a long, long way away from here, but we love this club and we want success ... we're going there to win," Catley told media, including Wide World of Sports.
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Australian Matildas and Arsenal teammates Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Steph Catley celebrate winning the FA Women's League Cup final in 2024.
Australian Matildas and Arsenal teammates Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Steph Catley celebrate winning the FA Women's League Cup final in 2024. Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
If the women get up in the single-match final, it would undoubtedly be Australia's biggest week in European club football history.
Australians have a strong sense of national pride, which Catley has felt in the build-up to the match.
"There is something special about Australians doing well on the world stage and I think, in particular, in European football, because I think anyone who knows world football knows how hard it is to be successful over here, especially in the Champions League," she said.
"I can definitely feel the love and the support.
"I've had so many messages from people saying that they'll be up watching or that they're actually coming over from Australia and they're coming to watch the game in the stadium. It's always lovely to hear.
Their opponents, Barcelona, are one of the most formidable teams in women's football.
Australia's Steph Catley reacts.
Australia's Steph Catley reacts while captaining the Matildas. AP
The team has featured in the previous five editions of the Champions League final, winning the last two consecutive seasons.
Barcelona's star-studded side has left both Sam Kerr's Chelsea (2020-21) and Ellie Carpenter's Lyon (2023-24) disappointed over the years.
Carpenter was more fortunate in 2021-22 when the French club toppled Barca to clinch the trophy.
Danielle van de Donk and Ellie Carpenter celebrate Lyon's win in the 2021/22 UEFA Women's Champions League final. ANP via Getty Images
Asked if she had spoken to her fellow Matildas defender in Carpenter about the occasion, Catley revealed she had received a message from Carpenter, whose Lyon side was ousted by Arsenal 5-3 on aggregate in their two-legged semi final.
"I just looked at my phone before and I've got a text message from her," she said.
"She's jumping in early just to say good luck and it's a really, really sweet message.
"I'll be replying to that and probably pick her brain on a few things. She has obviously been there and done that and won it as well, so I'm sure she has lots of tips for me."
Catley will also draw on her experience in big games, such as matches at the home World Cup in 2023.
"I think there're moments in your football career that you can point to and say, 'That's probably the biggest moment of my career' and a lot of those come during World Cups and I think you can't get much more pressure than doing that on home soil," she said.
Steph Catley (3rdR) of Australia celebrates with teammates after scoring her team's fourth goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Canada and Australia at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on July 31, 2023 in Melbourne / Naarm, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Steph Catley celebrates with teammates after scoring the Matildas' fourth goal during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup match between Canada and Australia. Getty
"In some of those games that we did throughout that World Cup — the pressure that you feel and how you deal with that and what you learn from those occasions — it's all invaluable.
"So, coming into a game like this, I know I feel prepared.
"I've played in front of big crowds before when everything's on the line and it means the world to you."
Catley's journey to the biggest game in European club football has taken her half a world away from the six-year-old who was the only girl in a team of boys at East Bentleigh Soccer Club in Melbourne.
She hopes her efforts show aspiring young footballers back home that "anything is possible".
"When I was growing up, especially in Melbourne, I wouldn't have had any idea that I could be where I am today," Catley said.
Steph Catley as a child with her father and brother.
Steph Catley as a child with her father and brother. Instagram
"European football and the idea of the Champions League just wasn't on the cards and all I knew at the time was that I loved football and I wanted to play, but the more that time went on I developed such a passion for the game that I knew I just wanted to get as far as I could and playing in the Champions League final, along with probably a World Cup final, is as high as you can get.
"It's a proud moment for me, and looking back at that young girl, it definitely puts a smile on my face.
"Particularly for young girls and boys in Australia, if this is inspiring for them, then they can look at it and genuinely think that anything is possible and if they believe in themselves, then they can get to the top.
"With three Australians playing in this Champions League final, it is definitely possible for them."
Catley and her Arsenal teammates will contest the club's first UEFA Women's Champions League final in 18 years, with kick-off at 2am on Sunday, May 25 in Lisbon.