Lydia Williams

Fast Facts

Sport: Football
Event: Women's
Olympic History: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020
Coach: Tony Gustavsson
Year Born: 1988
State Born: Western Australia

About Lydia

Lydia Williams was first selected to the Australian Senior Matildas squad as a 15-year-old, with the goalkeeper later competing with the national team at the AFC Asian Cup and the 2006 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup.

The next year Lydia was selected for the 2007 World Cup, however failed to see any action, as the team was knocked out by Brazil at the quarter-final stage.

At the 2011 World Cup she shared goalkeeping duties with Melissa Barbieri, with the former receiving the starting nod for the Matilda’s 3-2 victory against Equatorial Guinea.

Lydia assumed first-choice goalkeeper status at the 2015 World Cup, where she was between the sticks for all but one game of the Matilda’s campaign. After a heroic performance in a quarter-final victory against Brazil, Australia bowed out of the tournament after a 1-0 defeat to Japan.

In qualifying for Rio 2016, Lydia helped the Matildas progress from Group F to meet Brazil in the quarter-final, where the Australians were ultimately defeated 7-6 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.

At her fourth World Cup, Lydia was again Australia’s first-choice goalkeeper. The Matildas met Norway in the round of 16 where the Australian's were cruelly edged 4-1 in a penalty shootout.

Across her professional career Lydia has played in Australia, America and Europe. Having played with Tuggeranong United in the nation's capital, she's gone on to win a W-League championship and two premierships with Canberra United.

At Tokyo 2020 Lydia and the Matildas made all of Australia proud in putting together a historic achievement.

Their fourth place finish, which was nearly a podium finish after a 4-3 loss to the USA in the bronze medal game, is the highest ever finish by the Matildas at an Olympic Games.