Brisbane Roar’s Angie Beard, is back in the orange after re-joining the club recently and gearing up for a history-making shot at back-to-back Women’s World Cups with the Philippines.
A Brisbane local, Beard began her professional career with the Brisbane Roar in 2014, playing three seasons before spells at Melbourne Victory, KR (Iceland), Fortuna Hjørring (Denmark), Western United, and most recently Sweden’s Linköping FC and AIK.
During her time with Linköping, she featured in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, facing Women’s Super League powerhouse Arsenal, a challenge she calls one of the highlights of her career.
“It’s nice to be back in Roar colours. It’s been a long time coming, and I’ve always wanted to play again here at home,” Beard said.
Beard made her first start since returning to the Roar on Friday night, nearly nine years after her last Roar appearance. While the match ended in a tough loss to Sydney FC, her focus is firmly on what’s ahead.
“We go again, we bounce back, and hopefully we can put some more points on the board and get into finals football,” she said.
After representing Australia at U-17 and U-20 levels and earning three senior caps for the CommBank Matildas, Beard switched her allegiance to the Philippines, qualifying through her mother. Since then, she’s become a key figure for the national side, earning 25 caps and helping lead the Philippines to its first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
The Philippines made history at that tournament, stunning co-hosts New Zealand 1–0 in front of a roaring crowd in Wellington. It was a match that Beard will remember forever.
“The Philippines is a smaller footballing country,” Beard said. “We’re doing the best we can as a female squad to bring excitement, fans and visibility to the sport. When we succeed, we show what’s possible when the right support and foundations are in place.”
Building on that historic achievement, Beard and the Philippines are now aiming for consecutive Women’s World Cup appearances at next month’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup, hosted across the Gold Coast, Sydney and Perth from March 1–21.
The top six teams at the tournament will qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the seventh- and eighth-placed teams will enter the FIFA inter-confederation play-off tournament, where they must win extra matches against teams from other regions to secure the final World Cup places.
“We’re really trying to get that second consecutive World Cup,” Beard said. “It’s never been done in Philippine history.”
They’ve been drawn in Group A, arguably the toughest group of the three, and are pitted against the CommBank Matildas, South Korea and Iran. They’ll face the host nation in a major tournament once again, taking on the CommBank Matildas in the opening match in Perth on March 1.
“For the girls to experience the atmosphere like that against Australia is why you play football. You don’t just play football to settle; you play football to be the best and play the best.”
“I’m super excited. Keeping that goal difference close and putting in some strong performances, especially defensively, in the tournament, is absolutely key.”
While the AFC Women’s Asian Cup beckons next month, Beard will be back in action for the Brisbane Roar in the coming weeks, next facing Adelaide United at home this Sunday afternoon at 5pm AEST.
