Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fantasy campaign, we’re taking a closer look at each nation competing at this summer’s tournament – highlighting their recent form, qualifying matches, key players and more.
Here we take a look at the prospects of Australia.
This will be the Socceroos’ seventh appearance at the tournament and their sixth in succession.
The men from Down Under have twice achieved Round of 16 appearances. The first, in 2006, ended controversially with a dubious added-time penalty awarded to Italy. The second came last time out in Qatar, when they were edged out 2-1 by Argentina. On both occasions, their opponents went on to win the World Cup.
The bookies do not rate Tony Popovic’s side’s chances of emerging from their tough group, however.
On the plus side, Australia have improved considerably since Popovic took over in 2024.
SQUAD
The big news from the squad announcement was the inclusion of Cristian Volpato ($6.0m), the 22-year-old Sassuolo forward, who defected from Italy after representing the Azzurini at Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 levels.
Volpato had previously declared he only wanted Italy but opted for the country of his birth at the last minute, earning a first call-up along with Tete Yengi ($4.3m), who has impressed in Japan this year.
Martin Boyle, Brandon Borello, Joe Gauci and Kye Rowles are the four players to miss out. Boyle can consider himself particularly hard done by, considering he missed the last World Cup through injury and has scored 10 goals in 41 matches for his country. The 33-year-old was considered nailed-on for a place in the squad before Volpato’s surprise defection.
Another player who won’t be attending the finals is the luckless Riley McGree, whose injury, 20 minutes from the end of Middlesbrough’s Championship play-off final defeat, shattered his World Cup dream.
THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION
The second round of qualifying (Australia bypassed the first) was a procession, with six wins on the bounce.
However, Graham Arnold’s side met with setbacks in the crucial third stage, losing 1-0 to Bahrain and drawing with Indonesia. They won only one of their first six third-round matches.
Arnold promptly resigned, and was replaced by Popovic. The former Crystal Palace defender guided his side to two wins over China, a draw and a victory over Japan and a 5-1 thrashing of Indonesia. They booked safe passage to the States with a 2-1 success against Saudi Arabia.
Popovic has attempted to change the culture within the Socceroos camp. He is a stickler for detail, obsessive about nutrition and sleep and accepts nothing but a do-or-die attitude from his charges.
Australia are a reflection of their coach: organised, resolute, physical and hard to break down.
The underlying numbers in qualification seem to back this up, with the xG conceded more impressive than the xG:
Above: Asian countries ranked by xG and xG conceded per 90 minutes in qualification
BIGGEST GOAL THREATS IN QUALIFICATION
Kusini Yengi top-scored for Australia in qualifying with six, but the Aberdeen forward, who was on loan at Cerzo Osaka this year, has been dogged by a thigh injury and a loss of form – and, unlike his younger brother Tete, missed the cut for the squad.
Indeed, Popovic culled a number of players who helped get Australia to the finals.
Of the nine top scorers in qualifying, only central midfielder Jackson Irvine, back-up winger Nishan Vilupillay and centre-half Harry Souttar survived.
MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS IN QUALIFYING
Craig Goodwin would have been a shoo-in to make the World Cup squad but for a groin injury. The Adelaide United midfielder was arguably Australia’s best player in qualifying, delivering five assists, 24 key passes and three goals.
The onus will therefore be on winger Connor Metcalfe and wing-back Jordan Bos to step up. The duo each weighed in with two assists in qualifying, but their respective 10 and nine key passes suggest they will have to go some to attain the same creative level as the man the Aussies called the ‘GOAT’.
That said, Metcalfe delivered a lovely assist in Australia’s recent friendly draw with Switzerland and could be on set plays, Bos has been scoring frequently in recent friendlies.
SINCE QUALIFICATION
| Date | Opposition | Result | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 September 2025 | New Zealand | 1-0 (W) | Ballard | Toure |
| 9 September 2025 | New Zealand | 3-1 (W) | Toure 2, Irankunda | Ballard, Metcalfe |
| 11 October 2025 | Canada | 1-0 (W) | Irankunda | |
| 15 October 2025 | USA | 1-2 (L) | Bos | |
| 15 November 2025 | Venezuela | 0-1 (L) | ||
| 19 November 2025 | Colombia | 0-3 (L) | ||
| 27 March 2026 | Cameroon | 1-0 (W) | Bos | |
| 31 March 2026 | Curacao | 5-1 (W) | Mabil, Circati, Bos, Irankunda x2 | McGee, Bos Virupillay |
| 31 May 2026 | Mexico | 0-1 (L) | ||
| 6 June 2026 | Switzerland | 1-1 (D) | Yengi | Metcalfe |
It’s been a year since Australia qualified for the World Cup and in that time, a number of the players who helped them get there have fallen by the wayside.
So, we are probably better off weighing up their more recent form. The Socceroos have played 10 friendly matches in the last eight months, recording five victories, four defeats and a recent 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
The main takeaway from the draw against the Swiss was the debut goal for Tete Yengi. The 25-year-old was in the right place at the right time to convert Metcalfe’s cross to earn his side a hard-fought draw.
Australia lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Yengi supported by Irankunda and Volpato, with the Sassuolo striker replaced at half-time by Metcalfe. Australia produced only 1.03 expected goals from five shots to Switzerland’s 1.42 from nine attempts, with the Swiss creating three big chances to Australia’s one.
It wasn’t exactly a great performance from Australia against the Swiss, and Popovic made wholesale changes at half-time, but they did at least get a result to help them forget about their ill-tempered 1-0 defeat by Mexico six days previously. The Socceroos will feel they should have at least drawn that one, with Toure missing a sitter.
WORLD CUP FIXTURES
In terms of the quality of opposition, Australia have their toughest test first. The Turks have won seven of their last eight matches and drawn the other with Spain.
The United States have looked good in recent friendlies, beating Senegal and Germany, but they have not kept a clean sheet for eight matches and will have the weight of expectation on their shoulders.
Paraguay have won three of their last four matches, scoring eight goals and keeping two clean sheets, which suggests that they are not the also-rans many would have us believe they are.
In poker parlance, they say that if you look around the table and you can’t see the dope, you’re it. Now, we’re not saying that Australia are done for, but Group D does look a lot like a Group of Death, so the Aussies will need to keep it tight at the back and hope for some clinical finishing.
One thing that shouldn’t trouble them is the climate. Although many of the Socceroos ply their trade in Europe, they have been brought up playing in soaring temperatures.
TOP FANTASY PICKS
Jordan Bos ($4.0m) is a player with a very bright future. The Feyenoord wing-back produced nine assists and four goals in the Eredivisie in the season just gone and is one of Australia’s greatest attacking threats. Classified as a defender, he will earn points if Popovic manages to get his defence marching to his tune, and he also offers the potential for attacking returns.
Priced at $4.0m and owned by 0.5% of the game, he has the potential for attacking, defensive and Scouting Bonus points. He already scored against USA in October – one of three goals he netted in the Socceroos’ last seven matches.
In midfield, the versatile Connor Metcalfe ($5.3m) has started 11 of Australia’s last 12 matches, his one benching coming against Switzerland when Popovic experimented with his frontline.
It was Goodwin who set up Tete Yengi’s goal against Switzerland last weekend, he produced an assist in the 3-1 win over New Zealand in September, and he managed two further assists, as well as a goal, in World Cup qualifying.
He’s got a shot at corner-taking duties, too.
That said, he created just two chances in Australia’s 10 friendlies in 2025/26. He’s a pretty uninspiring pick.
Australia possess several exciting, young attackers in their squad, with Nestory Irankunda ($5.1m), Mohamed Toure ($5.0m), Tete Yengi ($4.3m) and Cristian Volpato ($6.0m) all 22 or under.
Yengi and Volpato were only handed their Australia debuts in the last few days, adding uncertainty to the line-up in attack.
The more experienced Metcalfe and Mathew Leckie ($4.7m) are also in the mix.
It’s probably best to give the attackers a wide berth for the time being, then, before reassessing in Rounds 2/3.
Irankunda is one to watch: he scored two goals in 23 minutes from off the bench against Curacao in March, is a long-range free-kick specialist, is on corners, and scored a penalty in qualification.
However, it sounds like Popovic may still favour him as an impact sub.
“Do I love Nestory Irankunda or Mo Toure and [Cristian] Volpato and the talent they have? Of course I do, and they will play their part. But them playing a part in one minute could be the difference to actually winning the game. It’s not about, for me, whether they start or don’t start.
“If it’s required for that game, if I think that they can produce over 90, 95 minutes – because that’s key, these young boys have to be able to play for 95 minutes, probably 100 this year with all the drinks breaks. That’s the big question. Can they produce at that level fitness-wise, physically?” – Tony Popovic, via the Sydney Morning Herald
