Big news in Australian soccer — Western United FC, the A-League Men’s champions from just three years ago, are in serious trouble. In fact, they’ve lost their license to play in the A-League Men and Women competitions for the 2025/26 season.
If you’re wondering what that means, think of it like this: in professional sports, teams have to meet certain rules to stay in the league, like paying players on time, having proper facilities, and being financially stable. If they can’t meet these requirements, the league can actually kick them out. That’s what just happened here.
The Official Decision
An independent board — meaning it’s separate from the league’s main bosses — reviewed Western United’s situation. They decided the club failed to meet the requirements needed to keep their license. Football Australia made the announcement in an official statement on Friday afternoon.
They said:
“Western United FC’s licence has been withdrawn, effective immediately.”
That means the club is banned from all Football Australia competitions, including the A-League Men, A-League Women, and the Australia Cup. The Australia Cup is a national knockout competition — think of it as Australia’s version of the famous FA Cup in England — where clubs from all over the country get to compete.
Western United can appeal the decision, but only on certain grounds listed in the rules. And even if they do appeal, time is running out because the new seasons start very soon:
A-League Men: mid-October 2025
A-League Women: early November 2025
How Did Things Get This Bad?
Western United, also known as WUFC, have been struggling financially for years. A major red flag was that they failed to pay their players and staff on time on at least three occasions this year alone. Late payments are a big problem in pro sports — players rely on those paychecks, and late wages can lead to legal trouble.
In fact, earlier this year, these issues even led FIFA (the worldwide soccer governing body) to give them an 18-month transfer ban. For those new to soccer, a transfer ban means the team can’t sign any new players from other clubs — not even if they have the money — until the ban is over. This can be devastating for a club, especially if they need to replace injured players or strengthen their squad.
On top of that, the people running the club were dealing with big personal money problems:
Club boss Jason Sourasis reportedly had a personal tax bill of $3 million.
Co-owner Steve Horvat had an even bigger debt — around $10 million in unpaid taxes.
And it doesn’t stop there. Creditors (people or businesses they owe money to) have started legal action to “wind up” the club in Federal Court. That means they’re trying to shut down the club to sell off its assets and get their money back. There’s another hearing for this case scheduled for Friday afternoon.
A Bit of Background on Western United
Western United entered the A-League Men in the 2019–20 season. At the time, they were Melbourne’s third professional soccer team (after Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City). They promised to build their own 15,000-seat stadium in Tarneit, a suburb west of Melbourne.
That was a huge selling point — soccer fans love having a real “home” stadium to support their team. But the stadium never got built. Instead, they eventually opened Ironbark Fields, a training facility with three full-size pitches. This was funded partly by the Wyndham City Council and the state government.
Ironbark Fields became home for the A-League Women’s team and was sometimes used by the men’s side during the 2024/25 season. But it opened years later than planned, and the COVID-19 pandemic made construction even harder and more expensive.
Not All Bad News (At First)
Earlier this year, things seemed like they might turn around. Head coach John Aloisi — yes, the same John Aloisi who famously scored that penalty in 2005 to send Australia to the World Cup — signed a new contract to stay with the team. That was a big deal because having a respected coach can attract new players and sponsors.
There was also talk about the club being sold to a US-based group called the Kaminski Group. New owners could mean fresh money, which would help pay debts and improve the team. But now, with the license gone, that sale might not even happen unless Western United wins an appeal.
What Happens Next?
Western United says they’re “bitterly disappointed” with the decision and plan to appeal. They’re hoping that the sale to the Kaminski Group will still go through and provide enough money to fix the problems.
However, the A-League has a problem of its own now: with the season only a couple of months away, they need to quickly decide whether Western United will stay in the competition or if they need to change the fixtures.
Soccer Facts for Context
Fact 1: The A-League Men has 12 teams (well, at least it did before this news). Each team plays 26 matches in the regular season. Losing one team means the league might need to reorganize the schedule.
Fact 2: Western United actually won the A-League Men title in 2022 by beating Melbourne City 2–0 in the Grand Final — an impressive achievement for such a young club.
Fact 3: The A-League Women is growing fast, especially after Australia’s Matildas did so well in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Losing a women’s team is a big setback for the league’s growth.
Fact 4: Stadiums matter! Clubs with their own stadiums can earn extra money from ticket sales, food, and merchandise. Not having one can make it much harder to stay financially stable.
Fact 5: In world soccer history, there have been many cases where clubs folded due to financial issues — for example, English club Bury FC was expelled from the Football League in 2019 after 134 years of existence.
Why This Matters for Australian Soccer
Losing a club like Western United is not just bad for the fans — it’s bad for the league’s reputation. The A-League wants to be seen as stable and growing, especially with soccer becoming more popular in Australia. When a team disappears, it can make potential investors or sponsors nervous.
It’s also heartbreaking for players, coaches, and staff. If the club folds, they’ll need to find new teams — and that’s not easy when most rosters are already full just before the season starts.
And of course, the fans suffer the most. Imagine supporting your team for years, celebrating their big championship win in 2022, and then hearing they might not even exist next season. That’s tough.
The Bottom Line
Western United’s future is now hanging by a thread. They’ve been kicked out of the league, they’re in serious financial trouble, and their stadium plans never came to life. They have one last chance to appeal, but the clock is ticking.
Whether they survive or not, their story is a reminder of how quickly things can change in soccer. One year you’re lifting the championship trophy, and a few seasons later, you could be fighting just to keep your club alive.
For now, all eyes are on Football Australia’s appeals process and whether Western United can find a way back onto the field — or if 2025 will mark the end of their short but dramatic journey in the A-League.
