in brief
- 17 Australians will be making their FIFA World Cup debut when the tournament begins on Friday.
- Here’s who they are, how to watch them, and what their chances of success are likely to be as the games get underway.
The anticipation is almost over as North America prepares to host football’s grandest event this week, with Australia’s Socceroos ready to enter the FIFA World Cup fray.
Australia’s 26-man squad is set to face Türkiye in Vancouver on June 14, marking their first group-stage clash. Following this, they’ll battle co-hosts the United States in Seattle on June 20 and conclude the group stage against Paraguay on June 26 in San Francisco Bay Area.
Here’s a comprehensive look at Australia’s team setup, including insights into their coaching, prospects, and standout players to keep an eye on.
Who are the Socceroos?
The Socceroos represent Australia in men’s international football. They first appeared at the World Cup in 1974 and had to wait 32 years for their next opportunity, reappearing in 2006. Since then, Australia has consistently qualified for each World Cup tournament, marking 2026 as their sixth consecutive participation.
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This year’s team features 17 players making their World Cup debut, including 18-year-old defender Lucas Herrington, Sydney-born, Italy-based attacker Cristian Volpato — who made a last minute switch in nationality from Italy to Australia — and 25-year-old uncapped striker Tete Yengi.
At the other end of the scale, captain and goalkeeper Mat Ryan and veteran forward Mathew Leckie head to a fourth World Cup.
You can find the names of the entire squad here.
Who is the coach?
Tony Popovic played more than 50 matches for the Socceroos and was a member of the team that reached the second round of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
He retired two years later and immediately changed gears to take up coaching, seeing success at a string of domestic clubs.
He was appointed to coach the Socceroos following the departure of Graham Arnold in 2024, and becomes one of only a handful of people to have both played and coached at a World Cup.
Which players should fans watch?
Nestory Irankunda is considered one of the most exciting young talents in the team. The 20-year-old’s speed and attacking flair have made him a rising star of Australian football.
In 2024, he signed for German giant Bayern Munich from Adelaide United under a record A-League transfer fee, believed to be worth $5.5 million.
He joined English Championship side Watford last year, scoring four goals in his debut season.
Mohamed “Mo” Touré is regarded as one of Australia’s brightest forward prospects. The young striker plays for English Championship side Norwich City, scoring 10 goals across 12 games in a breakout 2025/26 season.
Volpato was one of the most talked-about selections in the squad. The Sydney-born midfielder represented Italy at youth level before committing to the Socceroos this year, after declining previous approaches.
Jordan “Jordy” Bos has emerged as a promising and versatile young defender, enjoying a breakout season in the Netherlands last year.
Standing at nearly 2m tall, Harry Souttar is a dominant force for the team’s defence, who has only just become fit after a serious Achilles injury that saw him unable to play for nearly 500 days.
He was a top performer at the last World Cup, making a critical 86th-minute slide tackle against Tunisia that secured the Socceroos’ win and saw them progress to the Round of 16.
How did Australia qualify?
To qualify for the World Cup, Australia had to compete in eight matches played over almost two years and finish near the top of their Asian qualifying group.
Drawing their first game against Japan, the Socceroos remained undefeated and officially booked their place in the tournament by finishing second behind Japan, after a 2-1 comeback win against Saudia Arabia last June.
Which group are they in?
Australia has been drawn into Group D, alongside Paraguay, Türkiye and tournament co-host the United States.
The Socceroos will play each of those teams during the group stage. The top two teams in each group will automatically progress to the knockout rounds, while the eight best third-place teams will also advance.
What are Australia’s chances?
Australia has advanced past the group stage twice, in 2006 and 2022.
In 2006, the team progressed from a group featuring Brazil, Croatia and Japan.
They were knocked out by Italy, who went on to win the tournament, in the Round of 16 in a 1-0 loss.
The Socceroos again reached the Round of 16 in 2022.
They were eliminated by a 2-1 defeat to eventual champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi.
While the Socceroos are not considered among the favourites to win the World Cup, Australia’s recent World Cup performances suggest reaching the knockout rounds is a realistic ambition.
Australia’s best World Cup moments
Australia’s greatest World Cup campaigns came in 2006 and 2022.
The last tournament, held in Qatar in 2022, marked the first time the Socceroos won two matches at a single World Cup tournament.
After losing 4-1 to France, they recovered with wins over Tunisia and Denmark to advance to the next round.
Australia’s first-ever World Cup win, against Japan in 2006, is considered among the most memorable in Socceroos history.
It featured the country’s first goal, scored by Tim Cahill, who went on to become Australia’s record scorer across three tournaments.
Australia fought back from 1-0 down to defeat Japan 3-1 in a dramatic turnaround. Cahill scored twice in the closing minutes before John Aloisi sealed the victory.
Australia reached the Round of 16 in Germany, but lost to Italy 1-0 after the referee awarded the eventual winners a controversial late penalty.
Socceroos fixtures
Australia v Türkiye: Sunday, 14 June. Kick-off 2pm (AEST)
USA v Australia: Saturday, 20 June. Kick-off 5am (AEST)
Paraguay v Australia: Friday, 26 June. Kick-off 12pm (AEST).
You can watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 26â„¢ LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
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