After a 32-year absence following their 1974 debut, Australia finally returned to the FIFA World Cup™ at Germany 2006. Since then it’s been an unbroken run of qualification for the nation, with the Socceroos set to feature at a sixth straight edition of the global finals in North America.
Having twice progressed to the Round of 16, including at Qatar 2022, Tony Popovic’s side will be looking to reach new heights in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Australia coach: Tony Popovic
With more than 50 Socceroos caps, Popovic was a central defensive stalwart for the national team and a key part of the squad that reached the second round at Germany 2006. Having retired two years later, he immediately transitioned to coaching and has seen success at a string of domestic clubs.
Appointed to the national team role following the departure of Graham Arnold in late 2024, the Sydney native successfully navigated the final stages of World Cup qualification and is set to join a select group who have both played and coached at the global finals.
Australia’s World Cup 26 fixtures and group
Australia will learn their group stage opponents when the Final Draw for the tournament takes place in Washington DC on 5 December at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The draw will commence at 12:00 local time (18:00CET).
Full World Cup 26 match schedule
How Australia qualified for World Cup 26
Australia entered AFC qualification in the second round, breezing through that stage with six straight victories and not a single goal conceded.
It was a tougher beginning to the decisive third round as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Bahrain in the opening fixture on 5 September 2024. A draw in Indonesia five days later saw Arnold depart, with Popovic then steering the side to a home win against China PR and a draw in Japan.
They would go on to remain undefeated, with a 1-0 win in Perth against already-qualified Japan on 5 June 2025 moving them to the brink of qualification. Their ticket was stamped five days later in Jeddah as goals in either half from Connor Metcalfe and Mitch Duke secured a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia.
Australia’s World Cup history
Australia’s best World Cup
Twice the nation has advanced past the group stage, the first of those coming at Germany 2006 where they progressed from a group featuring Brazil, Croatia and Japan. Arguably one of the nation’s finest teams, featuring the likes of Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer, fell in heartbreaking fashion in the Round of 16 as a 95th minute Francesco Totti penalty saw them lose 1-0.
That was a record which was matched in Qatar 16 years later with 1-0 wins over Tunisia and Denmark sending the Socceroos into the knockouts as runners-up to France. Once again, they fell by a single goal in the Round of 16 to the nation that would ultimately go on to lift the trophy as goals from Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez saw Argentina claim a 2-1 win.
Australia’s last World Cup
Qatar 2022 marked the first time that the Socceroos had won two matches at a single edition of the World Cup. Having fallen to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of France first up, the side recovered with wins over Tunisia and Denmark to reach the second round. Despite a spirited showing, their campaign would come to an end in Al Rayyan with a 2-1 defeat against a Messi-inspired Argentina.
Australia’s first World Cup
Just under a decade after they reached the quarter-finals of the 1956 Olympic Games, Australia entered World Cup qualification for the first time. A 6-1 loss against Korea DPR in front of almost 60,000 fans in Cambodia was a tough introduction but eight years later they would qualify for West Germany 1974 with a memorable 1-0 win against Korea Republic in Hong Kong.
Drawn in a tough first round group, Australia earned plenty of plaudits for their Group 1 showings but ultimately exited at that stage, having lost 2-0 against East Germany, then 3-0 against the hosts before a scoreless draw with Chile.
Australia’s World Cup top scorer
Tim Cahill is one of a select group of players to have found the back of the net in three consecutive World Cups, grabbing five goals in total across the 2006, 2010 and 2014 editions of the tournament.
He opened his account with a late brace in a 3-1 win against Japan at Germany 2006, as Australia advanced from the group stage for the first time.
Four years later, Cahill was sent off in an opening defeat against Germany before returning from suspension to grab the first in a 2-1 win against Serbia but that wasn’t ultimately enough as the Socceroos failed to progress on goal difference.
In Brazil, the corner-flag botherer was on target with a trademark leaping header in a 3-1 opening defeat against Chile before scoring one of the goals of the tournament in the nation’s second outing.
Meeting a deep cross from the right with a rasping volley he lashed past Jasper Cillessen to grab his fifth and final goal at the global finals as Australia fell 3-2 to the Netherlands en route to another early exit.
Australia’s record World Cup appearance makers
With ten appearances apiece, Mathew Ryan and Mathew Leckie have made more outings at the global finals than any of their compatriots, and with both still active they have a chance to add to that tally in North America.
Born a year apart, Ryan and Leckie both featured in all three of their nation’s outings at Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018 as Australia failed to advance from the group stage.
They were back at it four years later as the Socceroos reached the Round of 16 in Qatar where goalkeeper Ryan and forward Leckie both started all four matches under then head coach Graham Arnold.
Australia’s memorable World Cup moments
From 20 outings, Australia have recorded just four wins and the first of those, against Japan, still lives long in the memory of the couple of thousand Socceroo supporters fortunate to witness it live, and tens of thousands who were watching back home.
Not only was it the first win but also featured the nation’s first goal, which came courtesy of the man who would go on to be Australia’s record scorer in World Cups, Tim Cahill.
With Australia trailing to a 26th minute Japan goal in their Group F opener in Kaiserslautern and just six minutes of regulation time remaining they received a throw-in from the left touchline which Lucas Neill raced over to take.
A booming throw sailed over four Japanese heads before a faint touch from keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi directed it into the path of Harry Kewell. A scuffed touch as he lost his balance fell to Cahill who drove it through the legs of fellow substitute John Aloisi and past another two Japanese defenders to pull Australia level. More late drama would see Australia score two further goals to claim both their first and still largest World Cup win.
Australia’s biggest World Cup win
Australia qualified for the 2006 World Cup as an OFC member nation but, having formally joined the Asian Football Confederation on 1 January 2006, they were part of the AFC family by the time the finals in Germany rolled around.
Over the subsequent two decades their greatest rivalry would emerge with Japan, fed in part by the thrilling group-stage showdown in Germany.
After Cahill’s leveller, he was at it again as he drove home a rasping effort from 20 yards that made it 2-1 in the 89th minute.
In front of 46,000 fans, many of them clad in green and gold, a fine solo effort from a slaloming John Aloisi iced the famous victory in the second minute of additional time.
