Anthony Albanese all but promises Aussies will get a public holiday if Matildas win the World Cup

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has all but promised Australians will receive a public holiday if the Matildas win the Women’s World Cup.

Albanese stated state and territory leaders will ‘race to declare’ a day off if Sam Kerr hoists the trophy on August 20.

‘It’s up to each state and territory to designate public holidays,’ Mr Albanese told the Daily Aus.

‘But rest assured – should the Matildas win the World Cup on home soil, I reckon there will be a race by premiers to declare a public holiday.’

In 1983, then PM Bob Hawke famously announced a snap and unofficial national holiday following Australia’s famed America’s Cup sailing triumph, uttering: ‘Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum!’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese believes state premiers will make sure Australians get a public holiday if the Matildas win the Women’s World Cup

The development comes as Matildas captain Sam Kerr urged her teammates to embrace the pressure of co-hosting a World Cup 

It comes as Kerr encourages her teammates to embrace co-hosting a World Cup with New Zealand, with Australia’s first match against the Republic of Ireland in Sydney on July 20.

The 10th-ranked Matildas shape as genuine contenders after a penalty shootout defeat to Norway cruelled their hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals in France four years ago.

And they will be led by a big-game player in Kerr, who played starring roles as Chelsea recently clinched their fourth consecutive FA Women’s Super League title and third straight FA Cup.

Kerr also found the back of the net on enemy soil in the Matildas’ 2-0 triumph over England in April, handing the European champions their first defeat in 31 matches.

Enjoying a pre-tournament break at home in Perth, the 29-year-old said getting one over the old enemy reinforced the Matildas’ confidence ahead of what looms as the biggest moment of her career.

‘I just said to my agent at coffee, if we win the World Cup I probably won’t see her for a few months,’ Kerr said.

‘It would be the ultimate dream. ‘That’s why I play football. That’s why I do what I do every day. That’s why I sacrifice so much, to win a World Cup.’

The Matildas are pictured after winning the Cup of Nations in Newcastle, NSW in February. If they lift another trophy at the conclusion of the World Cup, the whole nation will be given time to party with them

Kerr, 29, relishes being a role model and hopes the World Cup inspires more girls to play football from a young age across Australia

Having risen to heights once unimaginable for an Australian female footballer, Kerr hopes the tournament will inspire a new generation to grow the game even if she won’t get the opportunity to play in her home town.

That will have to wait until October, when the Matildas host the first of three Olympic qualifiers.

Kerr’s long-anticipated homecoming is already being marketed as the opportunity of a lifetime for local fans, but the Matildas skipper is squarely focused on what lies ahead for her and her teammates.

‘It’s such a big event, it’s such a big moment for us,’ she said.

‘The most important thing is we focus on ourselves and focus on performing to the best of our ability and enjoying it too, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

‘You don’t want it to become a bad experience by getting overawed by the crowd or whatever it may be, you want to enjoy this experience.’

The superstar striker concedes the Matildas won’t have long to find their groove as they prepare to gather in Brisbane ahead of the group stage next month.

‘Last time out we had a great result against England, so I think that gives us a lot of confidence. But there’s a long way to go,’ she said.

‘We’re not at our best right now but that’s what we’ve been planning for the last four years, to be at our best in four weeks’ time.’