Russell Crowe was a surprise early fan of the Matildas: 'It didn't click until he asked how the team was doing'

It was in 2007 when the Matlidas first began noticing they were gaining fans, including one very famous Aussie who had made a name for himself in Hollywood years earlier.

He was one of many celebrities to recognise the players as they made their way around town in between important matches.

Thea Slatyer, who played with the team from 2002 until 2012, was walking down the street in Sydney when she was 23 and in between competitions, when she was "approached on the street by a man wearing a hat and sunglasses."

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"I realised I was hearing the Gladiator's voice but it didn't click until he asked how the team was doing," Slatyer recalls in the book The Matilda Effect.

"It was Russell Crowe, just casually recognising me in the street instead of the other way around.

"He still has one of my Matildas jerseys framed and hanging up in his museum, I believe," she shared. "It was a sign, too, of how much the Matildas' profile had become."

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The Matildas made their first appearance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, before which they released a controversial 'nude' calendar aimed at raising funds for the team as well as their public profile.

12 Matildas players agreed to take part in the calendar which featured Tracie McGovern on the cover.

Shelley Youman, who took part in the calendar, said at the time the team were "relatively unpaid and unknown" and lacked "vital sponsorship and media coverage."

"Everybody was fit, and getting your gear off is not a big deal when you're looking good," she reflected in the book The Matilda Effect, adding that she didn't think anything of it but her husband did suggest she give their children a head's up.

It would be the only time the team participated in a venture of it's kind.

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The Matildas recent popularity has come on the back of hard work and resulting success, including their win against France in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday night, which left many predicting Australia will take out the tournament.

The Matildas have even more celebrity fans these days, with many sharing photos showing their celebrations after the win including Rebel Wilson, Hugh Jackman, Kylie Minogue, Sylvia Jeffreys, Cody Simpson, Dylan Alcott, Celeste Barber, Jackie O Henderson and many more watching the game.

With Australia taking on England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night, it is expected the British royals, many of whom are sporting fans, will also be watching the match.

Sam Kerr, who played in the second half of the game, is expected to make another late start on Wednesday night following a recent calf injury.

Kerr, 29, spoke of her own celebrity idols in her book My Journey to the World Cup, citing Cathy Freeman, Cristiano Ronaldo and Serena Williams as the celebrity sporting stars she most looks up to.

She had also previously confessed to having a celebrity crush on Gerard Butler, although she is now in a long-term relationship with US player Kristie Mewis whom she reportedly started dating in 2021.