At the time, girls playing football was unheard of. There was no Sam Kerr. There was no Steph Catley. There was no Lydia Williams.

Almost four decades and four appearances for her country later, McGovern was crying tears of joy at the news Australia will co-host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup alongside New Zealand.

"This is one of the biggest sporting spectaculars on earth alongside the Olympics," McGovern said.

She's been there almost from day one so was understandably overwhelmed with emotion in the early hours of Friday morning when the AsOne bid beat one from Colombia.

The biggest show in world football is coming Down Under.

"You reflect on five-year-old Trae being one of two girls growing up playing with the boys because there wasn't a girls competition to Australia and New Zealand hosting a Women's World Cup," she said.

Six-year-old daughter Zada will now have the achievable dream of following in her mother's footsteps as a Matilda.

Along with two-year-old sister Evie, they both soon might have the same dream of being the next Sam Kerr.

"If I can inspire my daughter's to play, then that will be fantastic," McGovern said.

"You can't be what you can't see - that's the big message and every kid in Australia's going to be able to see that you can have a future in football come 2023."

In the end the joint bid triumphed by 22 votes to 13, with only the European and South American nations backing Australia's rival after council members watched video pitches from the two bidders.

McGovern said the success of the bid meant that female participation in Australia would increase and football overall would benefit.

"That flow-on effect helps improve the quality of our W-League which creates a new generation of Matildas which is very exciting," she said.

"It's exciting for the football family AsOne because men, women, boys, girls, we're all in this together now.

"This is huge for football in Australia, not just women's football, football in Australia."

It is now important for players to continue promoting the game by attending schools and being seen.

"We've got to make sure the young kids are getting involved, getting to the games and seeing that these women were young once and had a dream," McGovern said.

"Look at them now travelling the world and playing football."

Thank you for valuing local journalism with your subscription. While you're with us, you can also receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.