Perth Glory captain Adam Taggart has earned a Subway Socceroos re-call after almost two years for the upcoming 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifiers against Lebanon.
Taggart has not played for the Subway Socceroos since September 2022 but the 16-time Australia international is back in the squad set to face Lebanon in Sydney (March 21) and Canberra (March 26) thanks to his red-hot form in the Isuzu UTE A-League, where he has scored 14 goals.
He is not the only Isuzu UTE A-League-based player called up by Graham Arnold, with Melbourne Victory talisman Bruno Fornaroli retaining his spot following the AFC Asian Cup while Western Sydney Wanderers star Brandon Borrello returns having recovered from an ankle injury which ruled him out of the tournament in Qatar.
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Aziz Behich, who is on loan at Saudi giants Al Nassr from Melbourne City, misses out through injury. As does Marco Tilio as he recovers from an hamstring injury sustained on loan at Melbourne City from Scottish champions Celtic.
“As a group we took a lot away from our time in Qatar and I’ve got no doubt that we’ll be better for the experience as we work towards World Cup qualification,” Arnold said.
“We selected a number of younger, inexperienced players for the Asian Cup with the view of giving them more opportunities at international level as well as exposing them to tournament conditions.
“It’s part of our continued regeneration of the senior national team squad, ensuring that in two years’ time we have the depth and experience required to succeed on international football’s biggest stage.”
The March 21 fixture at GIO Stadium in Canberra is a designated home game for Lebanon, who have opted to play in Australia due to the current circumstances in the Middle East after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) requested a neutral venue.
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Arnold’s Subway Socceroos have a 100% record through two matches in Group I in the second round of qualifying.
The Subway Socceroos have already beaten Bangladesh and Palestine on the road to the 2026 World Cup.
“We’ve gone with a similar squad to the one we took to the Asian Cup, and they’ll be prepared to face a side in Lebanon that have a lot to play for,” added Arnold.
“It’ll be a great test for the group and one I know they’re very much looking forward to.”
