MELBOURNE is set to be snubbed in favour of Sydney, with Victoria to miss out on an official World Cup send-off match for the Socceroos for the first time in eight years.

Melbourne has played host to farewell fixtures for the national soccer team before the past two World Cups, with matches against Greece and New Zealand drawing jubilant crowds to the MCG.

But the harbour city is poised to steal Melbourne's thunder with the Napthine Government confirming Australia's sporting capital had been overlooked for a Socceroos friendly before this year's World Cup.

The MCG staged Socceroos send-offs in 2006 and 2010 but only one farewell friendly will be played before this year's June World Cup in Brazil.

And in a growing trend motivated by an aggressive NSW Government campaign to wrestle sports and major events north, the May farewell match is almost certain to be played in Sydney.

The commercial support of the O'Farrell Government is believed to be a major factor in the decision.

Victorian Government spokesman Mark Lee confirmed Melbourne did not have a Socceroos send-off and urged Football Federation Australia to reconsider.

"If the FFA want to host the farewell game in the best city in Australia, then Melbourne is the natural choice,'' he said.

"Victoria has the very best major events calendar in Australia which includes a number of major sporting events such as the Australian Tennis Open, the Formula One Grand Prix and the AFL Grand Final, the Spring Racing Carnival.''

But FFA spokesman Kyle Patterson said Sydney had hosted several major events since the election of the O'Farrell Government in 2011.

"The economic backing of the NSW Government has been an important factor in the match scheduling,'' he said.

"An announcement is pending on the host city for the 2014 World Cup farewell match and, as always, the host government support will be a decisive factor."

MCC spokesman Shane Brown said the club would be happy to host the match at the MCG but had not been approached.

Melbourne last year placed second to London in a list of the world's ultimate sporting cities with Sydney placing third.

A world record cricket attendance watched day one of this summer's Boxing Day Test, more than 95,000 filled the MCG for a friendly between Melbourne Victory and Liverpool last year and a sellout crowd saw Australia defeat the British and Irish Lions at Etihad.

But Sydney upstaged Melbourne to lure Major-league Baseball to Australia for the first time in a $13 million coup that will see the LA Dodgers play Arizona at the SCG in March.

The NSW Government has announced Italian champion Juventus would play in Sydney this year and the city would host the Allan Border Medal ceremony instead of Melbourne.

Opposition sports spokesman John Eren accused the State Government of taking its eye off the major events crown.

"Sydney seem to be getting all the major events and we're supposed to be the sporting capital of Australia with all these magnificent stadiums, so why are we missing out,'' he said.

peter.rolfe@news.com.au