Australia’s national football team, the ‘Socceroos’, has qualified for the FIFA World Cup.
Australia secured direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from the Asian qualifiers. On Tuesday night (June 10), the team booked their place in the World Cup for the sixth time by defeating Saudi Arabia 2-1. With this win, the list of six Asian teams qualifying for the upcoming World Cup—scheduled to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada—is now complete. While five teams had already secured their spots, the final place was contested between Saudi Arabia and Australia.
Saudi Arabia faced a tough challenge—they needed to defeat Australia by at least a five-goal margin to qualify. However, the match at the Al Inma Bank Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, saw Australia proving their superiority and walking away with a victory.
The match actually started well for Saudi Arabia. In the 19th minute, the hosts took the lead through a goal from Abdulrahman Al-Obud. But just before halftime, Australia equalized with a goal from Connor Metcalfe. Early in the second half, Mitchell Duke scored with a header from a brilliant cross by Martin Boyle, putting Australia in front.
In the 84th minute, Saudi Arabia had a golden opportunity to level the match when they were awarded a penalty. However, Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan made a stunning save to deny the goal and preserve his team’s lead.
Under coach Tony Popovic, Australia went undefeated throughout the qualifiers. Former player Luke Wilkshire praised the win as a “professional performance” and described coach Popovic’s contribution as “remarkable.”
This achievement is seen as a significant milestone in Australia’s football history. By continuing their streak of World Cup appearances since 2006, the Socceroos have once again demonstrated the steady progress of their footballing capabilities.
