All 32 international football teams are settling into their homes-away-from-home in cities across Australia and New Zealand for the Women’s World Cup.

Each was given a hotel and secure training facility, hand-picked by FIFA, with strict guidelines as to what each venue needed to provide visiting players and staff for the duration of the tournament.

By coincidence, the Matildas’ first opponent – the Republic of Ireland – are staying on the same street as the Aussie team in Brisbane’s South Bank.

They make up two of the four teams who’ll call the river city home over the next month or so.

Welcoming the Republic of Ireland

The Irish squad arrived at the Emporium Hotel earlier this month.

The venue’s business development manager, Julia Wardle, said excitement has been building in the Grey Street high-rise ever since.

“All of the staff that are here [and] the guests were all thrilled to be involved in this incredible event,” she said.

The Irish players themselves have given the Queensland capital a glowing review following positive first impressions.

Logistically, the hotel had to reserve around 60 rooms — not to mention special laundry and dietary requirements for the elite women’s football team.

The inner-city Brisbane hotel’s gone above and beyond to ensure the players feel at home during their stay.

“We’re putting all different sorts of Irish-themed activations on the screens [around the hotel], a big Irish flag,” Ms Wardle said.

“We’re doing an Irish-themed cocktail as well, so everyone’s trying to get involved and bring that excitement and build that hype around the big event.”

It was a competitive process to secure hosting duties for a team, with each hotel having to meet the specific requirements set out by FIFA.

Brisbane’s World Cup training venues

The same goes for each of the training venues accommodating teams across the two host nations.

Lions Football Club (FC) at Richlands, in Brisbane’s south-west, will close off their main field so the Nigerian team — known as the Super Falcons — can train there.

Meanwhile, Goodwin Park at Yeronga will become the training hub for Ireland, Brazil will train at the Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, and the Matildas will be based at Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre.

Security scaffolding has been erected around the Richlands field to ensure most sessions are completely out of public – not to mention their competition’s — view.

Lions FC general manager, Rob Scanlon, said it’s been a tricky process to ensure the training field was up to scratch.

“From a club standpoint, it’s a massive honour for us,” he said.

“It’s something that we’ve been working towards — for probably the last five years — of not just being a community facility anymore, where we’re trying to take that next step.”

While most FIFA venues received hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to get their facilities up to international standard, there’s also been a level of sacrifice.

For example, Lions FC had to relocate 85 teams who would usually use the facility around this time of year.

“The next month is going to be challenging,” Mr Scanlon admitted.

Brisbane’s Lang Park (Meeanjin Stadium) even kicked out its regular NRL tenants, the Brisbane Broncos and the Dolphins, in the lead up to the Women’s World Cup.

Brazil in the Bay

Brazil will be based in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, staying in North Lakes.

Mayor Peter Flannery said, when Brazil plays, locals will swap the Aussie green and gold for the green and yellow of the Canarinhas (Canaries).

“We’ve been in long discussions with FIFA about this and I’m thankful to both them and the Brazilian Football Confederation for choosing Moreton Bay,” he said.