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The Matildas are ready for the biggest game Australian football has ever experienced - so far.

And if you ask goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, they've been ready for some time.

On Wednesday night at Stadium Australia, the Matildas face England for a spot in the Women's World Cup final against Spain.

A run of friendly wins against fellow semi-finalists England, Spain and Sweden, and vanquished quarter-final opponent France preceded Australia's golden run on home soil - most of which has been without skipper Sam Kerr.

It's given them belief they can go all the way.

"I remember coming in after the French game, the friendly before the World Cup and we were all in the change room and Sam said 'I think this is a time now that we're all really together and like this is the time that we can really believe that we can go all the way,'" Arnold told reporters.

"Because we'd just come off beating England, Spain, France and all these top teams that maybe we hadn't done in the past.

"Just everyone's confidence radiated off each other and being together and believing in each other, no matter who's starting, who's coming on, whatever it is - I think that's just really gone a long way in the confidence for everyone."

Both teams have batted away talk of rivalry, but England have followed France in attempting to pile the pressure on Australia as the hosts.

"I've said it from day one: we actually don't look at it as pressure. We look at it as a privilege that so many people believe in this team," coach Tony Gustavsson said.

"And we feel the support - we're filled with energy every time whether it's arriving at the hotel, or coming to an airport, going to the stadium or when we play during games.

"It's amazing to see how many people support and believe in this team and in that sense we're looking at more as fuel and energy than pressure.

"We don't look at it as heavy, we look at it as we get carried from underneath and built up and feel the belief in us."

The Lionesses have switched to a back three but whatever England throw at them, Gustavsson feels ready.

"Are England going to stay true to their possession game or are they going to take away our transition game by playing a different style of football than they normally do and just adjusting in that sense?" he asked.

"We are prepped for both. We are prepped for both systems, if they play 4-3-3 or 3-5-2.

"We have also played with three different systems in this World Cup, so we might be flexible and do something different as well."

Gustavsson indicated he could target a couple of England's weak links.

"There some players no matter what system they play that have the very same tendencies and when we played them last time, we managed to target specifically two of those players and benefited from that tactically.

"So we looked into those nuances and those individual behaviour a little bit more now instead of the system - and hope that we can target that tomorrow as well."

© AAP 2023

The Matildas are taking the biggest moment in Australian football history firmly in their stride as anticipation builds ahead of their Women's World Cup semi-final against England.

On Wednesday night at Stadium Australia, the Matildas face England's Lionesses for a spot in the final against Spain.

The sellout game is tipped to smash TV records set earlier this tournament, live sites have popped up across the country, and pubs and restaurants showing the game have been booked out well ahead of time.

There have even been reports of Matildas fans taking advantage of a leaked access code to snap up tickets reserved for England supporters.

But it's business as usual for the players, with a traditional game day walk in Sydney ahead of their huge night.

Midfielder Katrina Gorry will win her 100th cap on Wednesday, which is also her daughter Harper's second birthday, celebrated with her teammates in camp.

Australia will feel primed to deliver, backed by a passionate crowd that has helped lift them through to the final four.

A run of friendly wins against fellow semi-finalists England, Spain and Sweden, as well as vanquished quarter-final opponents France, preceded Australia's golden run on home soil - most of which has taken place without the services of skipper Sam Kerr.

It's given the Matildas the belief they can go all the way.

"I remember coming in after the French game, the friendly before the World Cup, and we were all in the change room and Sam said, 'I think this is a time now that we're all really together and this is the time that we can really believe that we can go all the way'," goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold told reporters.

"Because we'd just come off beating England, Spain, France and all these top teams that maybe we hadn't done in the past.

"Everyone's confidence radiated off each other and being together and believing in each other, no matter who's starting, who's coming on, whatever it is - that's really gone a long way in (building) the confidence for everyone."

Both teams have batted away talk of rivalry, but England have followed France in attempting to pile the pressure on Australia as the hosts.

"I've said it from day one: we don't look at it as pressure. We look at it as a privilege that so many people believe in this team," Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said.

"And we feel the support - we're filled with energy every time, whether it's arriving at the hotel, or coming to an airport; going to the stadium, or when we play.

"It's amazing to see how many people support and believe in this team and in that sense we're looking at it more as fuel and energy than pressure.

"We don't look at it as heavy, we look at it as we get carried from underneath and built up and feel the belief in us."

The Lionesses have switched their tactical set up during the World Cup but whatever England throw at them, Gustavsson said the Matildas are ready.

"Are England going to stay true to their possession game, or are they going to take away our transition game by playing a different style of football than they normally do?" he asked.

"We are prepped for both."

© AAP 2023

Excitement levels are reaching fever pitch as fans prepare to ride another emotional roller-coaster when the Matildas take on England in the Women's World Cup semi-final.

More than 80,000 people are expected to pack a sold-out Stadium Australia on Wednesday night, while thousands of others will tune in from live sites around the country.

They include the FIFA Fan Festival at Sydney's Tumbalong Park, where more than 202,000 people have already enjoyed the site's food, games and music throughout the tournament.

In Melbourne, AAMI Park will be transformed from sports stadium to live site, with the must-win game broadcast on the big screen.

In Perth, thousands are expected to descend on Forrest Place in the CBD and Perth Rectangular Stadium to watch hometown hero and Matildas star Sam Kerr.

Dozens of other fan zones have been set up across the country, while millions of viewers will tune in to the semi-final from home or their local pub.

Meanwhile, sales of Matildas scarves have soared on eBay Australia by more than 2600 per cent, the e-commerce platform says.

"In the last two weeks alone, sales of Matildas jerseys have kicked up over 450 per cent on eBay, while sales of the iconic Matildas scarf surged 2,650 per cent," spokesperson Zannie Abbot said.

"With Australia taking on the world and inspiring the next generation of women and girls in sports, it's great to see the nation get behind their home team with unwavering support."

Broadcaster Channel Seven reported 4.17 million people tuned in to the Matildas' quarter-final against France on Saturday night.

Nearly 12 million viewers have watched the Matildas' matches live throughout the tournament.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is encouraging Australians to rally behind the team that has inspired a nation.

"The whole of Australia is behind the Tillies, and we wish Sam Kerr and that wonderful team all the best," he said on Tuesday.

Mr Albanese remains committed to a public holiday if the Matildas win the World Cup, with the support of the state and territory premiers.

© AAP 2023