MIL Email Publisher – Foreign Submissions

Source: GlobalData

The Philippines’ card payments market is projected to grow by 18.8% in 2025 to reach PHP4.2 trillion ($72 billion), supported by sustained financial inclusion efforts and improving acquiring infrastructure, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s Payment Cards Analytics reveals that the total card payment value in the Philippines grew by 20.5% in 2024, with the market reaching PHP3.5 trillion ($61 billion) in 2024. Card spending is increasingly benefitting from the expansion of basic bank accounts, the emergence of digital-only banks, and the gradual shift from cash to electronic payments, even though cash still dominates everyday transactions.

Ravi Sharma, Lead Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Card payments in the Philippines are expanding from a relatively low base, supported by a rising banked population, targeted financial inclusion policies, and a steady build out of acceptance infrastructure.

“Regulatory initiatives from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), including the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022–2028, are reinforcing consumer trust in formal financial services while nudging both individuals and merchants towards greater card usage. As cards become more widely issued and accepted, they are steadily capturing share from cash in both physical and remote commerce.”

Debit cards form a critical foundation of this growth story. In 2025, debit cards account for 35.1% of total card payment value. Their rising usage is closely linked to the expansion of bank accounts and financial access points across the country. The key enablers include BSP’s Circular 992, introduced in 2018, which allowed banks to roll out basic deposit accounts with simplified Know Your Customer checks, no minimum balance, and no maintenance fees.

By contrast, credit and charge cards, while underpenetrated in terms of cardholding, dominate spending. In 2025 they represent 64.9% of total card payment value, significantly surpassing debit cards in transactional value. This is largely due to the compelling value-added propositions such as rewards, cashback, air miles, and merchant discounts, which encourage cardholders to route high ticket and discretionary spending through credit lines rather than debit.

Beyond card issuance, several factors are reinforcing the shift to card payments. The acceptance network is steadily expanding. However, high POS installation costs and merchant service fees continue to constrain uptake among small merchants. To mitigate this, providers are rolling out more economical mobile POS and SoftPOS offerings.

Notably, Singapore-based HitPay partnered with Ingenico in October 2025 to launch an all-in-one payment solution for Philippine SMEs, enabling acceptance of major credit cards and local mobile wallets, an initiative that is expected to indirectly bolster card usage at smaller merchants.

On the policy front, the BSP and the government are leveraging multiple channels—micro banking offices, electronic money issuers, microfinance providers, pawnshops, and remittance agents—to extend formal financial services into unbanked and underserved regions. The National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022–2028 aims to foster inclusive digital finance, strengthen financial education, and enhance consumer protection—pillars that collectively underpin confidence in card based and other electronic payment mechanisms. While cash remains deeply embedded in consumer habits, these structural reforms and infrastructure investments are gradually lowering barriers to card adoption.

Sharma concludes: “Looking ahead, the total card payments in the Philippines are forecast to almost double between 2024 and 2029. The growth will be underpinned by the continued financial inclusion initiatives, the expansion of POS and low-cost acceptance solutions, and sustained consumer preference for value rich credit card propositions. Although annual growth is expected to slow from 18.8% in 2025 to 12.2% by 2029 as the market matures, the structural shift from cash to cards will keep the Philippines among the faster growing card payment markets in the region.”

Notes

Information is based on GlobalData’s Payment Cards Analytics
This press release was written using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by GlobalData’s team of industry experts

About GlobalData

4,000 of the world’s largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s unique data, expert analysis and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData’s mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services sectors.

Source: deVere Group

November 26 2025 – The UK Budget is a “masterclass in disincentivising saving and investing”, warns the CEO of one of the world's largest independent financial advisory organisations.

The warning from Nigel Green of deVere Group comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget set out how tax rates on savings, property income and dividends will rise by 2 percentage points.

The Treasury's new tables show that from 2027 savers and landlords will face a straight rate increase of two percentage points across interest, rental and dividend income. For basic, higher and additional-rate taxpayers this pushes tax on saving income to 22, 42 and 47%.

Rental income and interest will face the same treatment. Dividend tax rates rise to 10.75% for basic-rate taxpayers, and 35.75% at higher bands.

The additional revenue — projected at £500 million annually from savings and property income and another £1.2 billion from dividends — comes at a steep cost to investor confidence.

Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, says the message this sends is deeply counter-productive. “When you raise the cost of holding income-producing investments, people will of course reconsider how and where they invest.

“You end up penalising patient capital and rewarding cash withdrawal. This is the opposite of building a thriving stock market.”

For decades the London market has attracted income-orientated investors precisely because of its broad catalogue of dividend-paying, blue-chip companies. Many households rely on that income — often outside ISAs or SIPPs.

The new tax regime hits those investors hardest, making long-term ownership less attractive and encouraging early cash-outs. Rather than hold for dividends, investors may sell shares immediately after the next payout, or shift their holdings to more favourable jurisdictions. The signal is clear: if you want growth and yield, UK equities may no longer offer value once the tax drag begins.

Nigel Green notes the irony. “The government says it wants to rebuild the pension and savings culture, yet it imposes fresh barriers on anyone who actually saves or invests,” he says.

“That sends a simple message that locked-up capital is subject to stealth extraction. Why would someone tie money into UK equities under those rules when other markets reward income rather than punish it?”

The impact extends beyond dividends and savings. Rental property investors now see diminished returns, making buy-to-let schemes much less attractive. That could lead to reduced investment in the private rental sector at a time when housing supply is desperately needed. The broader economy will feel the squeeze as less capital chases property, less cash flows into markets and confidence in UK assets declines.

Moreover, the tax increase arrives against a backdrop of rising inflation, high living costs and mounting financial pressures.

“Many savers already face low real interest rates. With interest income now facing heavier taxation, returns after tax may be negligible or negative. For retirees or those relying on interest to preserve capital, this compounds the squeeze. When saving becomes unprofitable, people look elsewhere — and often overseas,” says Nigel Green.

The global context makes the decision even more alarming. Attractive tax regimes in other jurisdictions compete aggressively for internationally mobile capital. Countries offering lower or zero tax on investment income now look more appealing.

For investors with the choice, locking money into a high-tax, uncertain UK setting becomes irrational. Capital flows will follow the path of least resistance and greatest return. The new UK rules tilt that balance decisively away.

Nigel Green warns the consequences may play out slowly but decisively. “If you weaken incentives to save, invest and own property, you drain the lifeblood of wealth creation,” he says.

“You don't just discourage new money. You encourage old money to move elsewhere.” Over time, that could drain capital from equity markets, property, pensions and long-term investment in the UK.

The UK risks losing not only savings and investment, but its appeal to the global capital that once saw the country as a gateway to innovation, growth and wealth preservation.

The deVere Group CEO concludes with a stark warning. “When you make saving, investing and owning property more expensive, you don't build prosperity. You drive it away.

“History will teach us that Reeves' second – and critical – Budget was a masterclass in disincentivising saving and investing.”

deVere Group is one of the world's largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients.  It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

Source: United Nations – ESCAP

Extreme heat is reshaping the region's disaster landscape and driving the fastest growing climate-related hazards, according to the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025: Rising Heat, Rising Risk.

(ref. https://www.unescap.org/kp/2025/rising-heat-rising-risk-policy-pathways-regional-resilience?utm_source=CKMS+Media+Use+Only&utm_campaign=a8146c990b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_11_26_03_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-a8146c990b-512325497 )

Launched today by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the report shows that rising temperatures are “impacting all, everywhere,” with expanding and intensifying risks to food systems, public health, urban living, rural livelihoods, infrastructure and ecosystems. In 2024, the hottest year on record globally, countries across Asia and the Pacific experienced severe heat episodes, including the heatwave in Bangladesh that affected around 33 million people and another in India that caused around 700 fatalities.

New projections in the 2025 report highlight the scale of the threat. By 2100, regional disaster losses could increase from US$418 billion under the current scenario to US$498 billion under a worst-case climate scenario. The frequency of days above critical heat thresholds is set to increase sharply, with South and South-West Asia, parts of South-East Asia and northern and eastern Australia trending toward chronic heat exposure.

Urban centres are particularly vulnerable: densely built cities such as Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Delhi, Karachi, Dhaka, Manila, Jakarta and Phnom Penh are projected to become significantly hotter, with the urban heat island effect adding an extra 2°C to 7°C on top of global warming. Vulnerable communities, including children, older persons and outdoor low-wage earners in densely populated areas, face the greatest risks.

“Heat knows no borders; therefore, policy responses must anticipate impacts, reduce exposure and vulnerability at scale and safeguard those most at risk. With urgency, clarity and cooperation, lives and livelihoods across the region can be protected,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

The report calls for strategic, long-term action grounded in science, innovation and regional cooperation. It emphasizes the need to place heat at the centre of multi-hazard planning, supported by heat-ready early warning systems that use interoperable alerting, agreed metrics and trusted last-mile communication. With only 54 per cent of global meteorological services issuing warnings for extreme temperatures, expanding heat-health warning systems in just 57 countries could save approximately 100,000 lives each year, the report notes.

To help countries deal with extreme heat, ESCAP is planning three new regional initiatives: scaling up climate-resilient and inclusive social protection schemes; establishing cross-border green cooling corridors; and using innovative space-based solutions to strengthen heat preparedness and early warning systems.

The report was launched at the Ninth Session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction, which is meeting through 28 November 2025 in Bangkok and serves as the intergovernmental forum for reviewing the expanding disaster risk landscape and exploring forward-looking solutions to strengthen regional resilience.

Source: Amnesty International

Responding to the extradition of Montagnard and Ede Indigenous human rights defender Y Quynh Bdap from Thailand to Viet Nam, Amnesty International’s Thailand Researcher Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong said:

“This extradition is a grave failure of Thailand’s human rights obligations. Sending an Indigenous activist back to a country with a well-documented pattern of torture and discrimination against Montagnards puts Y Quynh Bdap in serious danger.

“Vietnamese courts have a long track record of convicting activists in proceedings that fall far short of international fair trial standards. By handing Y Quynh Bdap over to the very authorities he fled on the basis of a conviction obtained through an unfair trial, Thailand has violated one of the most fundamental protections in international law.

“Following the return of Uyghurs to China earlier this year, this is the second time Thailand has blatantly returned people to their countries despite risks of grave human rights violations despite a domestic law prohibiting torture and non-refoulment that came into force in 2023.

“Thai authorities must ensure safety and protection for all those fleeing persecution – including Indigenous and religious minorities from Viet Nam – rather than putting them at risk of harm.”

Background

On 26 November 2025, Thailand’s Court of Appeal delivered a verdict authorizing the extradition of Y Quynh Bdap, a UN-recognized refugee who had lived in Thailand since 2018. According to Bdap’s lawyers, the verdict hearing was only scheduled one day in advance.

Bdap was removed to Viet Nam despite long-standing concerns about the safety of Indigenous activists returned there. He had been arrested for overstaying his visa in June 2024 after Vietnamese authorities requested his extradition, claiming he had been sentenced in absentia to 10 years’ imprisonment on terrorism charges earlier that year. Previously, Amnesty International had called for Thai authorities not to extradite Bdap due to high risks of torture.

Bdap, a member of the Ede ethnic minority, co-founded Montagnards Stand for Justice, an organization that documents abuses against Central Highlands Indigenous communities and advocates for their religious and cultural rights. Vietnamese authorities accused him and five other Montagnard individuals of involvement in an attack on a government building in Dak Lak province in June 2023. Bdap has consistently rejected these allegations.

Amnesty International has repeatedly documented widespread persecution of Montagnard communities who face arbitrary arrest, torture, and severe restrictions on religious practice and movement. Following the 2023 attack in Dak Lak, Montagnards reported mass detentions, security lockdowns and violent interrogations. Several people described being beaten, electrocuted or injected with unknown substances during questioning.

According to Bdap, he was tortured during an arrest in 2010, describing severe beatings and mistreatment at a police station. His account echoes patterns Amnesty International has reported for more than a decade, including cases where prisoners were confined in tiny cells for months, chained for extended periods, or given contaminated food and water.

Despite ratifying the UN Convention against Torture in 2015, Viet Nam continues to rely on abusive detention practices. Prisoners of conscience, political detainees and members of ethnic and religious minorities are particularly targeted.

Thailand’s decision to extradite Bdap also breaches its obligations under international and domestic law. The principle of non-refoulement—contained in the UN Convention against Torture and reflected in Thailand’s Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance—strictly prohibits sending anyone to a country where they are in danger of torture. Despite these obligations, Thailand recently deported 40 Uyghur men to China, placing them at high risks of severe human rights violations.

Source: Equinor

27 NOVEMBER 2025 – In a meeting in the corporate assembly of Equinor ASA on 26 November 2025 Jarle Roth was elected as new member of the board of directors of Equinor ASA.

Jarle Roth is elected as a new member of the board of directors of Equinor ASA with effect from 1 December 2025 and is effective until the next ordinary election of members to the board of directors in June 2026.

This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Source: Flinders University

After years studying wild birds in the bush, Flinders University experts have described a new call type frequently used by one of Australia’s favourite birds, the Superb Fairy-wren.

In a new article just published in Royal Society Open Science, scientists from the Flinders BirdLab and European experts describe for the first time the shrill whistle-sounding “seet” danger call of these well-known little birds.

“This newly described danger call is produced in response to predators near the nest, particularly when the nest contains vulnerable offspring, and represents a distinct component of the species’ vocal repertoire,” says lead author Dr Lauren Common, PhD from the College of Science and Engineering and researcher at the Konrad Lorenz research group at the University of Vienna.

“The call is given at the highest rates when chicks are still in the nest, when parental investment is high and young are most susceptible to predation, and declines after fledging.”

The research team combined field observations, acoustic analyses, and experiments to document and classify the new call type.

The discovery sheds light on how parents manage risk around their nests, and how evolution shapes communication when offspring are at their most vulnerable.

Senior author, University of Vienna Professor Sonia Kleindorfer, who founded the BirdLab at Flinders University, says the acoustic secrets of one of Australia’s more popular birds are still being unveiled.

“The discovery of a new call type in such a well-researched species highlights how much more there is to learn about avian communication,” says senior author Professor Kleindorfer, from the Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology at the University of Vienna.

The study shows that the danger call is consistently associated with threats to reproduction and is acoustically distinct from known fairy-wren alarm calls.

“These findings expand our understanding of how small passerines encode threat information in their vocalisations and coordinate group responses,” says Professor Kleindorfer.

Both sexes of Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) give a series of high-pitched trills, with males featuring dazzling breeding plumage.

They have a wide-ranging habitat in eastern Australia but are showing concerning signs of decline particularly in urban environments.

Flinders University senior lecturer in animal behaviour Dr Diane Colombelli-Négrel, director of the BirdLab research group, says the study “underscores the sophistication of fairy-wren communication and its importance for survival in predator-rich environments.”

The article – The 'seet' danger call: An active nest warning in Superb Fairy-Wrens (2025) by Lauren K Common, A Yelimlieş, Diane Colombelli-Négrel, VI Austin, Sonja Kleindorfer – has been published inRoyal Society Open Science. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.251100

Acknowledgements: The fieldwork was conducted at Cleland Wildlife Park, funded by the University of Vienna and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) grants (10.55776/PAT1115224, 10.55776/P36342 and 10.55776/W1262).

Source: Everland

Everland was honored to convene two gatherings of Indigenous leaders at COP30 – bringing key stakeholders of the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative together in dialogue shaped by representatives of Indigenous and traditional communities who are considering participating.

So far, projects representing nearly 90,000 Indigenous and traditional community members across 17 million hectares of pan-Amazonian rainforest have expressed their interest. Leaders of many of these communities spoke at the two events, setting out their priorities, their challenges, as well as their motivations for engaging with the initiative.

“At COP30, Indigenous leaders spoke with one voice: the world must stop the destruction of our forests, the exploitation of our peoples, and the erasure of our cultures,” said Chief Almir Suruí, Chief of the Paiter Suruí People who spoke at both events. “There is a path forward – but it is narrow and urgent. It requires immediate, real resources, delivered in the way we have long called for: directly to our communities and under our leadership. We are turning to the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond to finance our REDD+ projects, and to the Equitable Earth Standard for credible verification of real conservation results, because these approaches respect our right to design and control our own solutions, and ensure that finance reaches our territories – not top-down systems built far from the forest, where funds disappear into distant institutions and our communities are left with empty hands.”

Overall, it's been a crucial few weeks for Indigenous-centered forest conservation.

Equitable Earth announced the launch of its new forest conservation methodology, and The Wall Street Journal reported that Everland has already secured Letters of Intent totalling $160 million from companies seeking to purchase carbon credits from the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative's portfolio of projects.

Ultimately, the initiative aims to provide $50 million in upfront capital to launch up to 20 new Indigenous-centered forest conservation projects in the Amazon to be verified by Equitable Earth. The sale of carbon credits from these projects is expected to channel more than $1 billion to the projects over their first ten years, with communities receiving the majority of this revenue to invest in their own self-determined goals. For all projects in Brazil, communities will receive at least 70% of carbon credit revenue.

Read more: https://everland.earth/news/everland-honored-to-participate-in-indigenous-events-at-cop30/

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

26/11/25: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is mourning the death of a Ministry of Health colleague at Zalingei Hospital (Central Darfur) on 18 November and calling once again for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to guarantee the protection of health facilities and staff.

MSF extends its deepest condolences to the family of the Ministry of Health stretcher-bearer who was killed in the shooting outside Zalingei Hospital on 18 November, which also left four individuals wounded. Following this incident, and for the second time this year, MSF has been forced to reduce support at Zalingei Hospital to ensure the safety of our teams.      

“Our teams cannot resume humanitarian activities until the Rapid Support Forces guarantee safe conditions to protect staff and patients”, says Myriam Laaroussi, MSF emergency coordinator in Darfur. “It is unacceptable for armed confrontations to affect medical facilities and humanitarian aid.”

At Zalingei Hospital, MSF provides critical services and support, including an emergency room, surgery, paediatrics, emergency obstetrics and newborn care, as well as an inpatient department and isolation tents for treating measles and cholera during outbreaks.                                                                                      

Since 18 November MSF has maintained continuous active engagement with the Ministry of Health, community members, security agencies and different authorities to work on the protection status of the health facility. During the withdrawal, we will continue to provide support for human resources and the supply of medicines.

This incident follows an earlier suspension in August, when MSF halted all operations at the hospital following a grenade explosion inside the facility on the night of August 16. That attack resulted in one fatality and left five others injured, including a Ministry of Health staff member. A reduced team continued to provide essential care until, following discussions with key stakeholders, MSF resumed its activities on August 31.

Measles outbreak

The ongoing violence disrupts access to healthcare for hundreds of people in need at a time when MSF has been responding actively to a measles outbreak in the area.

From April 1 to November 20, 2025, we received a total of 850 measles patients, 36% (310) of whom were acutely malnourished, which increases the severity of the disease. “Many of the patients we treat also suffer from acute malnutrition, which increases the risk of developing sever medical complications. Malnutrition combined with measles can be fatal,” says José Sánchez, MSF medical coordinator in Darfur. Over the past months, our teams have recorded worrying surge in measles cases. Weekly averages have escalated rapidly, from three cases in July to 22 in August, 43 in September, 57 in October and 62 in November. “It is essential that our teams continue to provide urgent medical care at the facility,” says Sánchez.

For over 40 years, MSF has been at the forefront of major crises in Sudan, including disease outbreaks and periods of severe malnutrition. We continue to support communities affected by ongoing conflict through humanitarian and healthcare activities in eight states.

MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation.  MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières  working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

Source: deVere Group

November 25 2025 – The AI sector is in a volatile stage as investors “abandon the idea that one unified mentality can carry every company involved in advanced computing.”

This is the analysis of Nigel Green, the CEO of deVere Group, one of the world's largest independent financial advisory organisations, as Nvidia shares fall 3% on reports that Meta will use Google AI chips.

He says the reaction shows how rapidly the centre of gravity in AI is shifting.

“Investors are reassessing their assumptions. The belief that one dominant supplier can dictate the pace, pricing and direction of the entire sector no longer holds. Capital is responding to genuine competition.”

He believes that this shift is not only overdue, but actively positive for global markets.

“This development is welcomed because it brings discipline back into valuations.

“The whole sector strengthens when investors reward companies for real capability instead of treating the whole industry as a single trade.

“The Meta–Google move signals a broader trend: hyperscalers want more control over their own AI infrastructure. The era of relying on a single provider for the most expensive, most strategically sensitive hardware is fading. Investors recognise what that means.

“When platforms diversify their chip supply, it forces every participant in the AI ecosystem to compete on efficiency, not narrative.

“This is the pressure the sector needs. It pushes innovation harder, contains excessive pricing power, and ultimately delivers a healthier investment environment,” explains the deVere CEO.

He adds that last year's AI surge produced distortions that needed correcting.

“The boom created an expectation that every company with AI exposure would grow at the same rate. That was never realistic and markets are now stripping out the excess.

“It strengthens the sector because only firms with genuine economic advantage can justify premium valuations.”

The shift is already reshaping leadership. Hardware players must prove that their cost structures can withstand competition. Model developers must show durable demand beyond early excitement. Cloud providers must demonstrate that AI workloads can scale without eroding profitability.

Nigel Green says this readjustment is likely to benefit institutional and retail investors alike.

“Investors gain when the sector becomes more transparent. A market built on hype is unstable. A market built on performance is investable. This correction moves the industry toward the second category. That is why we welcome this trend.”

He warns that companies relying on inertia face sharper scrutiny.

“The capital required for frontier AI is enormous. Firms that fail to deliver practical gains will lose investor confidence quickly. The market is beginning to reward clarity, not promises.”

Despite the turbulence, Nigel Green says the long-term AI story remains intact.

“AI continues to be a defining force in global growth. What's changing is the filter investors use. The sector is finally starting to be reshaped by competition.”

He concludes: “Treat the AI becoming 'scrappier' as a sign of progress. It's the sorting process the sector needed.”

deVere Group is one of the world's largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients.  It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CommBank)

Continuing its commitment as Australia’s largest supporter of football¹, CommBank joins the AFC to bring Asia’s premier women’s national team competition to home soil.

25 November 2025 – CommBank today announced it will become the Official Regional Partner of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026TM, to help bring the tournament to Australian shores for fans from around the world

Twenty years after Australia first hosted the event, the tournament returns for its 21st edition, featuring 12 national teams from across Asia. Hosted in Perth, Gold Coast and Sydney from 1–21 March 2026, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026TM will also act as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The partnership reflects CommBank’s long-standing support for football and celebrates the diversity and pride that unite fans and players across Australia and the region. It builds on CommBank’s expanded partnership with Football Australia announced earlier this year in a six-year commitment to grow participation, pathways and inclusion in the game.

Diversity and reach across Australia and the region

With 3.4 million Australians connected to participating AFC nations, the 2026 tournament is set to be the most attended

AFC Asian Cup ever. It’s a celebration of Australia’s multicultural community, highlighting the diversity and shared spirit that football brings to fans across the country. It is projected to reach more than eight million Australian viewers and attract record-breaking crowds from home and abroad, as teams from across Asia, including the CommBank Matildas, inspire fans across the wider Asian region.

CommBank Matildas Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Steph Catley and Tameka Yallop along with Chief Operating Officer of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ LOC, Sarah Walsh

CommBank brings fans and players together

As part of its goal to build belief from the grassroots to the world stage, CommBank is launching the Doubt Never Did Ball, an initiative that will travel to community football clubs across Australia in the lead-up to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026TM.

Carried across the nation, the ball will collect handwritten messages from young players and fans to the CommBank Matildas. Inscribed with Doubt Never Did, the ball will connect the players with their biggest supporters, to serve as inspiration for the CommBank Matildas when it’s returned to the team ahead of their opening match against the Philippines in Perth on 1 March 2026.

The partnership with the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026TM will also see CommBank provide over 500 young fans with the chance to walk the pitch with Asia’s best footballers as a CommBank Mini Mate.

Quotes from CommBank, AFC and the CommBank Matildas

CommBank Group Executive Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Monique Macleod, said: “We’re proud to support the AFC Women’s Asian CupTM as it comes to Australia next year. It’s a celebration of the world’s game and a reflection of our nation’s diversity and spirit. Football is a unifying force and a game for all that brings people together and inspires belief. The CommBank Matildas are a powerful example of that. As the tournament returns home, we’re excited to carry that legacy forward and help build a brighter future that reflects the spirit and strength of our communities.”

Patrick Murphy, CEO of the AFC, said: “The AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026TM will be the most attended in history of the tournament, celebrating Australia’s diversity and the unifying power of football. Through partnerships like this one with CommBank, we’re inspiring millions and connecting communities across the region.”

CommBank Ambassador and CommBank Matilda, Sam Kerr said: “Playing on home soil is always special. We feel the belief and support of Australians everywhere we go, but there’s nothing like having it in the stands with you. It’s great to have CommBank alongside us again as we bring another major tournament to Australia and keep inspiring the next generation of players.”

Together, CommBank and the AFC are uniting fans across Australia and the region as the countdown to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026TMbegins. For more information visit commbank.com.au/football and womensasiancup2026.com.au

About the AFC

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six Confederations making up FIFA. Established in 1954, the AFC is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and comprises 47 Member Associations.

The AFC organises the AFC Asian CupTM, the AFC Women’s Asian CupTM and the AFC Futsal Asian CupTM which are the flagship Continental national team football and futsal competitions, while the AFC Champions League EliteTM and AFC Women’s Champions LeagueTM are the premier competitions for Asian clubs, drawing millions of fans to the beautiful game across the length and breadth of the Continent and beyond.

¹Australian Sports Commission’s 2025 AusPlay New Participation Report