
Australia
2nd in FIFA World Cup Qualifying - AFC2025 Fixtures











When the latest round of qualification began badly, Australia turned to Tony Popovic. Here's the inside story of how he turned things around and helped the Socceroos book a berth at the 2026 World Cup.

Socceroos midfielder Anthony Cáceres is departing for "continental football" after splitting with his long-time A-League club Sydney FC.

With the men's and women's A-League seasons completed, once again questions are being raised about the future of football in Australia.

A trio of Socceroos who call MLS home are confident the league's rising standards will bolster their hopes of being part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Are Ayase Ueda and Japan are poised to take the 2026 World Cup by storm? ESPN tackles that, and Asia's other big talking points from the latest round of qualifiers.

For only the second time in history, the Socceroos have made the World Cup without the need for a playoff. It mightn't have been pretty, but Tony Popovic and Co. deserve tremendous credit.

Australia qualified for its sixth straight World Cup on Tuesday with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia.

The Socceroos will head to a sixth consecutive World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their final group game.

Saudi Arabia are aware no one is expecting them to pull off a miracle against Australia. That doesn't mean they won't try.

Riley McGree's crucial assist has put Australia in pole position to claim a World Cup berth against Saudi Arabia. The 26-year-old sat down with ESPN to discuss what has been a tumultuous 12 months.
WCQ - AFC Table
# | TEAM | GP | GD | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Japan | 10 | +27 | 23 |
2 | Australia | 10 | +9 | 19 |
3 | Saudi Arabia | 10 | -1 | 13 |
4 | Indonesia | 10 | -11 | 12 |
5 | China | 10 | -13 | 9 |
6 | Bahrain | 10 | -11 | 6 |
Team Leaders
Top Scorers
# | Player | Goals | M | A |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mitchell Duke | 3 | 13 | 1 | |
Lewis Miller | 2 | 10 | 1 | |
Martin Boyle | 2 | 7 | 3 |
Top Assists
# | Player | Assists | M | G |
---|---|---|---|---|
Martin Boyle | 3 | 7 | 2 | |
Connor Metcalf.. | 2 | 9 | 1 | |
Mitchell Duke | 1 | 13 | 3 |