Why Taylor Swift could RUIN Sam Kerr’s Melbourne and Sydney homecoming as American pop star presents Matildas with major hurdle ahead of 2024 fixtures

Sam Kerr’s East Coast homecoming will be thwarted by Taylor Swift, with the sports and music megastars on a collision course next year.

Kerr’s Matildas have all but secured their way to the final stages of Olympic qualifying in February 2024, with the outcome of a two-match draw against a top Asian nation determining whether they will travel to Paris.

The Australians have earned a qualifier on home soil, but their chances of playing at Melbourne’s MCG or Sydney’s Accor Stadium – the country’s two biggest venues – are being hampered by American pop star Swift.

Swift heads Down Under for dates in Melbourne and Sydney around the same time as the dates for the Olympic qualifiers, which take place on February 24 and 28.

She will play three concerts at the MCG on February 16, 17 and 18, but the huge effort to restore the lawn after the shows means the iconic venue will be fighting to be ready for the start of the AFL season in March, late are next week.

Sam Kerr’s team will play a major Olympic qualifier at the end of February

However, they will not be able to play in Australia’s two largest stadiums

Accor Stadium will also host four shows from February 23 to 26, while Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium will host two Pink concerts on February 23 and 24.

Other possible options include Allianz Stadium, which can accommodate more than 45,000 spectators, CommBank Stadium (30,000) and AAMI Park (30,000).

Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will host Pink shows on February 16 and 17 and will work the pitch for an A-League match the following weekend.

The Matildas played in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 in Perth on Sunday, where they defeated the Philippines 8-0.