Subway Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic has called up five Isuzu UTE A-League stars for a training camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia in June.
Nicolas Milanovic has received a maiden call-up to the Socceroos having enjoyed a standout season with Western Sydney Wanderers, which has also now seen him seal a lucrative move to Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE FINALS SERIES
Meanwhile, Wanderers teammates Brandon Borrello and Alex Gersbach have also received the call, with the latter having not represented Australia since 2018 where he won the most recent of his six caps.
TEAM NEWS: Semi-FInal Ins & Outs: Socceroo ’50/50′ for leg one, Victory creator pushing for return
Furthermore, Sydney FC midfielder Anthony Caceres has once again been called up, as has Perth Glory skipper Adam Taggart, who finished the season in fine form by scoring a brace against Wellington Phoenix on the final weekend of the season before then helping Glory book their spot in the Australia Cup Round of 32.
The Socceroos head into the final international window sat second in Group C and with automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in their own hands.
MATCH PREVIEW: Aloisi’s 337-minute problem & the one line-up call that could define this Semi-Final
Three points clear of third-placed Saudi Arabia with two games left to play, the Socceroos host already-qualified Japan in Perth on Thursday June 5 before then travelling to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday June 10.
With those key qualification matches in mind, Socceroos boss Popovic has opted to assemble a squad of both tried and untested players in Abu Dhabi as he looks to sharpen the focus heading into the final round of qualifiers.
“Firstly, I’m very grateful to Football Australia for their support with this training camp which is invaluable for the players and staff ahead of our games in June,” Popovic said.
“We’ve got players finishing up their seasons at a range of different times, so it’s important they remain physically and mentally sharp in the weeks leading up to the final squad selection. I’m looking forward to the chance to work together for an extended period.
He added: “There are also a lot of players who are currently in-season with their clubs, and we’ll be monitoring them closely over the coming weeks.”
The camp, which will run until May 30 in Abu Dhabi, features players who no longer have club commitments for the 2024-25 season.
Following the conclusion of the camp in late may Popovic is then likely to name his final squad for the games against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Full Socceroos training camp squad:
| NAME | CLUB | ‘A’ Caps (Goals) | Junior Club |
| Keanu BACCUS | Mansfield Town, England | 21 (1) | Parklea FC (NSW) |
| Max BALARD | NAC Breda, Netherlands | 0 | Maccabi Hakoah FC (NSW) |
| Brandon BORRELLO | Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia | 15 (2) | Modbury Jets SC (SA) |
Martin BOYLE | Hibernian FC, Scotland | 32 (10) | Lewis United FC / Montrose FC (Scotland) |
| Cameron BURGESS | Ipswich Town FC, England | 15 (0) | ECU Joondalup / Football West |
Anthony CACERES | Sydney FC, Australia | 3 (0) | Marconi Stallions / Football NSW |
Jason DAVIDSON | Panserraikos F.C., Greece | 23 (1) | Hume City FC / Football VIC |
Miloš DEGENEK | FK TSC Bačka Topola, Serbia | 47 (1) | Blacktown City FC / Football NSW |
Joe GAUCI | Aston Villa FC, England | 7 (0) | Cumberland United FC / Football SA |
Alex GERSBACH | Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia | 6 (0) | Miranda Magpies / Football NSW |
Thomas GLOVER (GK) | Middlesborough FC, England | 0 | Menai Hawks / Football NSW |
Jack IREDALE | Hibernian FC, Scotland | 0 | ECU Joondalup / Football West |
Paul IZZO (GK) | Randers FC, Denmark | 0 | Campbelltown City SC / Football SA |
Riley McGREE | Middlesborough FC, England | 29 (1) | Gawler Eagles FC / Football South Australia |
Connor METCALFE | FC St Pauli, Germany | 24 (0) | South Cardiff FC / Northern NSW Football |
Nicolas MILANOVIC | Aberdeen FC, Scotland | 0 | Sydney United 58 / Football NSW |
Lewis MILLER | Hibernian FC, Scotland | 11 (1) | Pittwater RSL FC / Football NSW |
Paul OKON- ENGSTLER | S.L Benfica, Portugal | 0 | Marconi Stallions / Football NSW |
Mat RYAN (GK) | RC Lens, France | 98 (0) | Blacktown City FC / Football NSW |
Ryan STRAIN | Dundee United, Scotland | 6 (0) | Aston Villa FC (UK) |
Adam TAGGART | Perth Glory FC, Australia | 22 (7) | ECU Joondalup / Football West |
Nectarios TRIANTIS | Hibernian FC, Scotland | 0 | Canterbury Junior FC / Football NSW |
Kusini YENGI | Unattached | 12 (6) | Fulham United FC / Football SA |
Subway Socceroos v Japan
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Perth Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 7.00pm local / 9:00pm AEST Tickets: Available via Ticketmaster Broadcast: 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
Saudi Arabia v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday, 10 June 2025
King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah Kick-off: 9.15pm local / 4.15am AEST
Broadcast: Paramount+
