The fifth International Cup carnival will include at two AFL curtain-raiser matches, matches played at AFL and VFL venues, a men’s and women’s competition, a standalone AFL 9s fixture and matches linked with community football leagues.

AFL International Development Manager Tony Woods said the aim was to make IC14 the biggest International Cup to date. 

“We are committed to building on the success of IC11 and we believe we can once again deliver a great experience for all participating nations by hosting this event in the AFL's heartland. 

“By basing the carnival in Melbourne we are able to engage with the broader football community including the AFL, VFL and suburban leagues. 

“We look forward to welcoming countries from Oceania, North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. While the countries have various playing standards and local development programs, the common denominator is all the participants share our love of playing our great game,” he said. 

“It’s quite magical to witness firsthand the cultural and language interpretation and expression of AFL as it is developed and nurtured in the arms of communities all over the world.”

The AFL International Cup concept grew organically on the passion of committed individuals from both Australia and abroad on the back of a number of successful smaller carnivals with international participation.

The AFL International Cup is held every 3 years and is a celebration of AFL football on a global scale.  It is a unique and special event on the football calendar where people across the world come together to participate in the spirit of our game.

The key feature is that no expatriate Australians are eligible to play. Teams comprise solely of players who must be nationals of the country they represent.