The magnificent Matildas have made Australian sporting history, reaching the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time after edging out France 7-6 on penalties in a gripping encounter in Brisbane.

In an epic, record-setting shootout, goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold made three saves in a player-of-the-match display before Cortnee Vine cooly converted the winning spot-kick to seal the quarter-final victory in front of 49,461 screaming fans at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.

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The Matildas will play England, who got past Colombia later on Saturday, in next Wednesday’s semi-final at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

After France’s Vicki Becho hit the post at 6-6, Vine calmly drilled her penalty into the bottom corner to send Suncorp Stadium into ecstasy.

Arnold had earlier slammed Australia’s fifth penalty into the post but recovered to star in the 20-penalty shootout, the longest ever in the tournament’s history .

“I am still processing this. I think it might take me a couple of days but we have a quick turnaround so I have to figure it out quite soon. Unreal. I am speechless right now,” Arnold said.

“I could have won the game for the girls but they rallied around me and kept me in it.

“At the end of the day it is my job to keep the ball out of the net and thankfully I could do that.

“Honestly we all do it for each other. They had my back 100 per cent.”

That included denying Kenza Dali, being ruled to have come off her line, only to then save the midfielder’s second attempt.

Caitlin Foord, Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Katrina Gorry, Tameka Yallop, Ellie Carpenter and Vine all converted their spot-kicks.

Steph Catley and Clare Hunt were both denied by French goalkeeper Solene Durand, who was substituted in for the shootout.

The nerve-wracking shootout followed a dramatic 120 minutes in which both teams had chances to win the quarter-final.

Hunt and Alanna Kennedy mostly kept Diani and Le Sommer quiet while Ellie Carpenter and Hayley Raso had an entertaining duel with winger Selma Bacha.

France were clearly on top early as the Matildas lacked composure on the ball and consistently turned possession over.

Kadidiatou Diani fired a warning shot in the eighth minute and Maelle Lakrar blasted a tap-in over the bar in the 12th minute while Arnold also denied Eugenie Le Sommer and Lakrar in the 28th and 32nd minutes.

But Fowler was denied by an heroic block from France right-back Elisa De Almedia in the 41st minute and goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin four minutes later.

Kerr was introduced to a rousing reception in the 55th minute and almost immediately burst forward and worked the ball to Raso, whose long-range effort was brilliantly denied by Peyraud-Magnin.

Neither team could find an opening from there on and the game went into extra time.

France skipper Wendie Renard headed home in the 100th minute but the goal was disallowed when it was ruled she had fouled Caitlin Foord in the build-up.

Vine then toe-poked a difficult chance wide five minutes later while Arnold made a huge save to deny Vicki Becho in the 107th minute.

From there the rest was history as the Matildas marched on.