Six straight World Cups, two Round of 16 runs, and a team ready to chase a new national milestone

AUSTRALIA 🇦🇺

FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group D

The Big Picture

Australia is heading to its seventh FIFA World Cup and sixth consecutive tournament, confirming the Socceroos as one of Asia’s most consistent national teams.

After reaching the Round of 16 in 2006 and 2022, Australia now aims to take the next step and reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

Coach

Tony Popovic took charge of Australia in late 2024 after Graham Arnold’s resignation and successfully guided the Socceroos to qualification.

A former Australia defender with more than 50 caps, Popovic was part of the squad that reached the Round of 16 at Germany 2006. In 2026, he joins the select group of figures to both play and coach at a FIFA World Cup.

Group D Schedule

Road to 2026

Australia began AFC qualifying in dominant fashion, winning all six second-round matches without conceding a goal.

The third round started badly with a home defeat to Bahrain and a draw in Indonesia, leading to a coaching change. Under Popovic, the Socceroos recovered strongly, stayed unbeaten, defeated Japan in Perth, and sealed qualification with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah.

World Cup History

• Confederation: AFC
• Former confederation: OFC until January 2006
• World Cup appearances: 7
• Best result: Round of 16 (2006, 2022)
• Last appearance: Qatar 2022 – Round of 16
• First appearance: West Germany 1974
• Best qualification streak: 6 consecutive World Cups
• All-time World Cup record: 20 matches, 4 wins, 4 draws, 12 losses, 17 goals scored, 37 conceded

The Best World Cup Runs

Australia first reached the knockout stage at Germany 2006, when a golden generation featuring Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Mark Schwarzer, and Tony Popovic advanced from a group with Brazil, Croatia, and Japan.

The Socceroos repeated that achievement at Qatar 2022, beating Tunisia and Denmark 1-0 before falling 2-1 to eventual champions Argentina in the Round of 16.

The First World Cup

Australia made its World Cup debut in West Germany in 1974 after a memorable qualification victory over South Korea in Hong Kong.

Drawn with East Germany, West Germany, and Chile, the Socceroos earned praise for their performances but exited in the group stage after two defeats and a goalless draw against Chile.

Legendary Players

Tim Cahill is Australia’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with five goals across the 2006, 2010, and 2014 tournaments.

Mathew Ryan and Mathew Leckie share the Australian record for most World Cup appearances with 10 each, and both could add to that total in 2026.

Players to Watch

• Mathew Ryan – Veteran goalkeeper and one of Australia’s World Cup appearance record holders.
• Mathew Leckie – Experienced attacker and scorer of the decisive goal against Denmark in 2022.
• Connor Metcalfe – Midfielder who played a key role in sealing qualification.
• Cristian Volpato – Handed his debut by Mourinho at Roma, a technical winger with an eye for goal.

Greatest World Cup Moments

Australia’s first World Cup victory remains unforgettable. At Germany 2006, the Socceroos trailed Japan late before Tim Cahill scored twice and John Aloisi added another to complete a dramatic 3-1 comeback.

Another iconic moment came at Qatar 2022, when Mathew Leckie’s goal against Denmark sent Australia into the knockout stage for only the second time in its history.

2026 Expectations

Australia has become a World Cup regular. Now the Socceroos want more than survival — they want to reach new ground and make the quarter-finals for the first time.

AUSTRALIA

Goalkeepers

• #1 Mathew Ryan (Levante, Spain)
• #12 Paul Izzo (Randers FC, Denmark)
• #22 Jackson Irvine (FC St. Pauli, Germany)

Defenders

• #2 Milos Degenek (APOEL, Cyprus)
• #3 Alessandro Circati (Parma, Italy)
• #4 Jacob Italiano (Grazer AK, Austria)
• #5 Jordan Bos (Feyenoord, Netherlands)
• #6 Jason Geria (Albirex Niigata, Japan)
• #15 Kai Trewin (New York City FC, United States)
• #16 Aziz Behich (Melbourne City, Australia)
• #18 Patrick Beach (Melbourne City, Australia)
• #19 Harry Souttar (Leicester City, England)
• #21 Cameron Burgess (Swansea City, Wales)
• #25 Lucas Herrington (Colorado Rapids, United States)

Midfielders

• #8 Connor Metcalfe (FC St. Pauli, Germany)
• #11 Awer Mabil (CD Castellón, Spain)
• #13 Aiden O’Neill (New York City FC, United States)
• #14 Cameron Devlin (Heart of Midlothian, Scotland)
• #22 Jackson Irvine (FC St. Pauli, Germany)
• #24 Paul Okon-Engstler (Sydney FC, Australia)

Forwards

• #7 Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City, Australia)
• #9 Mohamed Toure (Norwich City, England)
• #10 Ajdin Hrustic (Heracles Almelo, Netherlands)
• #17 Nestory Irankunda (Watford, England)
• #20 Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo, Italy)
• #23 Nishan Velupillay (Melbourne Victory, Australia)
• #26 Tete Yengi (FC Machida Zelvia, Japan)

Head Coach

• Tony Popovic (Australia)