The Wiggles are a national treasure, but their national anthem ahead of the Matildas - USA clash didn’t quite hit the right note with football fans.

Fans took to social media to express a consensus negative review of the children’s group being picked to perform Advance Australia Fair, which was not helped by the events that immediately followed on the pitch at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

The Matildas conceded the first goal inside a whirlwind 24 seconds and failed to regain their footing against the powerful US side in a disappointing showing.

Australia couldn’t recover from going down early in an eventual 3-0 defeat.

Some on Twitter drew a direct correlation between the anthem - which had Sam Kerr and the Aussies smiling in the latter stages - and the lacklustre start.

The Wiggles set - including songs performed before the anthem - marked the first live public performance by the expanded group’s line-up.

It included new yellow wiggles Tsehay Hawkins and Kelly Hamilton, purple wiggle John Pearce and blue wiggle Evie Ferris.

It followed last month’s exit of popular yellow wiggle Emma Watkins, who stepped away to take a break amid a hectic touring schedule.