Australia have now become a regular presence at the FIFA World Cup and will feature once again in the 2026 edition of the tournament, set to be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
In the previous edition in 2022, Australia managed to break the shackles and reach the Round of 16 after being drawn into a tough group with France, Denmark, and Tunisia. Despite a 4-1 loss to France, they secured impressive wins over both Denmark and Tunisia.
In the Round of 16 clash against eventual champions Argentina, Australia nearly pulled off a miraculous equalizer in the dying moments of the game. However, Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez came up clutch with a fantastic save, sending Argentina through to the quarter-finals with a narrow 2-1 win.
Before that, the Australians had only reached the knockout stage once, back in 2006.
Having already secured qualification for the showpiece event in 2026 alongside Iran, Uzbekistan, Japan, and South Korea from the Asian subcontinent, the Socceroos will be optimistic about making a deeper run in the tournament this time around.