The Subway Socceroos are through to a sixth successive FIFA Men’s World Cup after a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia sealed their place at the 2026 showpiece.
Goals from Isuzu UTE A-League graduates Connor Metcalfe and Mitch Duke in Jeddah propelled the Socceroos to next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Australia’s first win in Saudi Arabia since 2011 capped a memorable night for the Socceroos, who needed to avoid a 5-0 loss to secure a sixth straight World Cup berth.
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On the night when he became just the third Australian man to reach 100 international caps, captain Mathew Ryan saved an 85th-minute penalty from Salem Al Dawsari to ensure his side would walk away with the full three points to finish qualification second in Group B – four points behind Japan.
Another Isuzu UTE A-League graduate, Ryan joins Mark Schwarzer (109 caps) and Tim Cahill (108 caps) in the Socceroos’ centurion club and will now be eyeing off the all-time record.
“This is an incredible moment for the Subway Socceroos and for football in Australia. Qualifying for a sixth consecutive FIFA World Cup is no small feat, and it reflects the hard work and unity of the players, coaches, and support staff,” Football Australia Interim CEO Heather Garriock said.
“Australian football in the world’s biggest sporting tournament unites our country like no other sport.
“We know how much this means to our fans, and we’re excited about the journey ahead to 2026.”
There were A-Leagues stars past and present involved against Saudi Arabia. Melbourne City captain Aziz Behich was in the line-up, while graduates Ryan, Duke, Metcalfe, Patrick Yazbek, Aiden O’Neill, Jason Geria and Lewis Miller also started.
Sydney FC’s Anthony Caceres and Melbourne Victory midfielder Ryan Teague came off the bench for Australia, along with Melbourne City loanee Marco Tilio, Mohamed Toure (ex-Adelaide United) and Riley McGree (ex-Adelaide United, Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City).
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It feels like a long time ago that Australia broke a 32-year wait to return to the FIFA World Cup; the 2026 edition will mark two unbroken decades for the nation at the pinnacle of the sport – and getting there owes plenty to the work of Popovic.
When the former Melbourne Victory, Perth Glory and Western Sydney Wanderers boss took over, the Socceroos were in danger of missing out on qualification with one point from two games following a shock defeat to Bahrain under Graham Arnold.
However, Popovic steadied the ship as the Socceroos enjoyed eight games unbeaten (W5 D3) with the former defender at the helm. They did not lose home or away to Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Now, another World Cup beckons for the Green and Gold.
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Football Australia Chair Anter Isaac added: “On behalf of the Football Australia Board, I congratulate Tony Popovic, his staff and the entire Subway Socceroos squad on securing qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
“This is a significant milestone for Australian football and a testament to the vision, commitment, and resilience of this team. We are proud of the way they continue to represent our country with passion and professionalism.”
