Cristian Volpato’s unexpected decision to switch allegiance from Italy to Australia has culminated in his selection for the World Cup, even before he has made his debut for the Socceroos.
The Sassuolo midfielder is among the standout names in Australia’s 26-man lineup, which also includes uncapped 25-year-old striker Tete Yengi. Meanwhile, veterans like skipper Mat Ryan and Mathew Leckie are gearing up for their fourth World Cup appearance.
However, the final squad announcement brought disappointment for some seasoned players. Martin Boyle, along with defender Kye Rowles, forward Brandon Borrello, and goalkeeper Joe Gauci, were notably left out by coach Tony Popovic.
“A range of factors has gone into selecting this final World Cup squad,” Popovic commented, shedding light on the decision-making process behind the team’s composition.
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“Some difficult decisions had to be made — that’s the nature of major tournaments.”
Socceroos’ 2026 FIFA World Cup squad
Goalkeepers
- Patrick Beach* (Melbourne City)
- Paul Izzo* (Randers FC)
- Mathew Ryan (Levante)
Defenders
- Aziz Behich (Melbourne City)
- Jordan Bos* (Feyenoord)
- Cameron Burgess* (Swansea City)
- Alessandro Circati* (Parma)
- Miloš Degenek (APOEL FC)
- Jason Geria* (Albirex Niigata)
- Lucas Herrington* (Colorado Rapids)
- Jacob Italiano* (Grazer AK)
- Harry Souttar (Leicester City)
- Kai Trewin* (New York City FC)
Midfielders
- Cameron Devlin (Heart of Midlothian)
- Ajdin Hrustic (Heracles Almelo)
- Jackson Irvine (FC St. Pauli)
- Connor Metcalfe* (FC St. Pauli)
- Aiden O’Neill* (New York City FC)
- Paul Okon-Engstler* (Sydney FC)
Forwards
- Nestory Irankunda* (Watford)
- Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City)
- Awer Mabil (CD Castellón)
- Mohamed Touré* (Norwich City)
- Nishan Velupillay* (Melbourne Victory)
- Cristian Volpato* (US Sassuolo Calcio)
- Tete Yengi* (FC Machida Zelvia)
(* First World Cup selection)
The squad features 17 players making their World Cup debut, including 18-year-old defender Lucas Herrington.
The Socceroos play a friendly against Switzerland in San Diego on Saturday, then group games against Türkiye, the United States and Paraguay.
Sassuolo winger Volpato, 22, only arrived in camp on Saturday morning (local time) — too late to feature in that night’s 1-0 loss to Mexico — after switching his allegiance.
Volpato knocked back Graham Arnold’s pitch to join Australia’s 2022 World Cup squad, then in March said he was waiting for a call-up from Italy’s senior team, before his change of heart.
Yengi, younger brother of fellow Socceroo Kusini Yengi, was selected despite not playing against Mexico.
Harry Souttar and Leckie make the squad after their first Socceroos appearances since 2024 against Mexico.
Rowles, a starter in 2022, misses out, as does Boyle, who was injured ahead of Qatar and again falls agonisingly short of reaching a World Cup
How many players are in the Socceroos World Cup squad?
The Socceroos have 26 players in their World Cup squad. All teams have to pick between 23 and 26 players and submit their final list to FIFA by 1 June.
FIFA will then confirm and publish the official squads on Tuesday.
When do the Socceroos play their first World Cup game?
The Socceroos will play their first group game against Türkiye on 14 June in Vancouver.
They will then play the United States in Seattle on 20 June and Paraguay on 26 June in Santa Clara, near San Francisco.
— With reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
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