Australia has announced its full 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s the seventh time the country has qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They achieved their best World Cup finish in 2006 & 2022, reaching the round of 16.
Head coach and former player Tony Popovic announced the full squad today. The team’s captain is goalkeeper Matthew Ryan. With 103 caps for the country, he is also the most experienced player in the squad. Another player to keep an eye on is forward Nestory Irankunda. The 20-year-old Watford player has scored five goals in thirteen matches for the Socceroos and is one of the squad’s biggest talents. Also, Alessandro Circati, playing for Parma, is a very big talent. He plays as a central defender.
Goalkeepers: Mathew Ryan (Levante), Paul Izzo (Randers), Patrick Beach (Melbourne City)
Defenders: Harry Souttar (Leicester City), Lucas Herrington (Colorado Rapids), Jacob Italiano (Grazer AK), Alessandro Circati (Parma), Cameron Burgess (Swansea City), Aziz Behich (Melbourne City), Jordan Bos (Feyenoord), Jason Geria (Albirex Niigata), Miloš Degenek (APOEL), Kai Trewin (New York City)
Midfielders: Jackson Irvine (FC St. Pauli), Aiden O’Neill (New York City), Connor Metcalfe (FC St. Pauli), Ajdin Hrustić (Heracles Almelo), Cameron Devlin (Hearts), Paul Okon-Engstler (Sydney FC)
Forwards: Nestory Irankunda (Watford), Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City), Nishan Velupillay (Melbourne Victory), Tete Yengi (Machida Zelvia), Awer Mabil (Castellón), Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo), Mohamed Touré (Norwich City)
Australia started their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a group with Palestine, Lebanon, and Bangladesh. The group winner and runner-up advanced to the next stage of qualifying. The Australians cruised through the group, winning all six of the matches with a goal difference of 22-0. In the third qualifying round, the opposition got stronger. Australia was drawn in a group with Japan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China, and Bahrain. The group winner and the runner-up secured a ticket for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Australia went off to a horrible start, losing 0-1 against Bahrain at Gold Coast.
After a draw in Indonesia, the Soccerroos were finally able to get their first win at home against China. Following that win, Australia recorded three consecutive draws, causing them to fall behind group leaders Japan. At that point, the Socceroos realized they needed a shift in momentum to secure qualification and guarantee at least a second-place finish. After beating Indonesia and China, a late winner at home against Japan set up a decisive match away to Saudi Arabia with a direct World Cup spot on the line. Australia’s goal difference was bigger, and they also had a three-point lead going into the match. It didn’t matter for the Socceroos. They played to win and secured a 2-1 victory in Saudi Arabia, punching their ticket to the World Cup as group runners-up behind Japan.
Australia will play their matches in Group D. The Soccerroos open their World Cup on June 14 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where they will take on Turkey. Five days later, they take on host USA in Seattle, Washington. For their final group stage match, they travel to Santa Clara, California, to take on Paraguay on June 25. The two group winners and the eight best third-placed teams from each group will advance to the next stage.
Australia Schedule
Marcel Dorff Marcel Dorff covers Mixed Martial Arts & Soccer for Heavy.com. He has covered MMA on a professional level since 2022. More about Marcel Dorff
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