Australia 2026 World Cup Preview - Socceroos a Chance to Escape Group D

Matthew Marshall

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Last updated: Fri 05 Jun 2026 12:31

Matthew Marshall 3 hours ago

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Australia enter the 2026 World Cup as 500/1 underdogs
Tony Popovic has a squad that includes plenty of young talent
The Socceroos have a decent chance to get out of Group D

Tony Popovic has been in charge of Australia since September 2024 (Getty)

Australia enter the 2026 World Cup with a renewed sense of belief after a Round of 16 run in Qatar where they pushed Argentina to the limit.

World Cup History
The Road to 2026 - Popovic Steadies the Ship
The Manager - Tony Popovic
The Squad - Youngsters Coming Through
Players to Watch
Group D Schedule and Knockout Opponents
2026 World Cup Winner Odds
Group D Winner Odds
Australia Stage of Elimination Odds

The Socceroos have been given no chance by bookmakers, but they relish as underdogs and will be keen to prove that their consistency on the world stage is no fluke.

World Cup History

Australia have qualified for the previous five World Cups, reaching the Round of 16 on two occasions. They went out to Italy in 2006 and Argentina in 2022.

Year	Host	Stage Reached
1974	West Germany	Group Stage
2006	Germany	Round of 16
2010	South Africa	Group Stage
2014	Brazil	Group Stage
2018	Russia	Group Stage
2022	Qatar	Round of 16

The Road to 2026 - Popovic Steadies the Ship

Australia won all six games in the second round but hit a roadblock at the start of the third round, beaten 1-0 by Bahrain before a 0-0 draw in Indonesia.

Long-time manager Graham Arnold stepped down and was replaced by Tony Popovic. Results immediately improved, the Socceroos finishing the campaign to finish second in Group C.

A 2-1 comeback victory in Saudi Arabia on the final matchday sealed their direct ticket to the World Cup.

The Manager - Tony Popovic

Popovic was a centre-back who played over 400 games at club level. He was a part of Crystal Palace's team that competed in the 2004-05 Premier League.

The 52-year-old represented Australia on 58 occasions and played one match at the 2006 World Cup.

He had a successful managerial career at club level, guiding Western Sydney Wanderers to a historic AFC Champions League title in 2014 and winning A-League premierships with the Wanderers and Perth Glory.

Popovic has brought a disciplined, no-nonsense philosophy to a squad that desperately needed structure.

The Squad - Youngsters Coming Through

Australia's squad features the experienced Mathew Ryan, Aziz Behich, Jackson Irvine and Mathew Leckie.

There are plenty of youngsters coming through including centre-backs Alessandro Circati, Lucas Herrington and Feyenoord left-back Jordan Bos.

Cristian Volpato has been getting game time at Sassuolu and has been called up to make his debut.

Two attackers that have been competing in the English Championship are likely to see plenty of playing time, Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Toure.

Pos	Player	Age	Club
GK	Mathew Ryan	34	Levante
GK	Paul Izzo	31	Randers
GK	Patrick Beach	22	Melbourne City
DF	Milos Degenek	32	APOEL
DF	Alessandro Circati	22	Parma
DF	Jacob Italiano	24	Grazer AK
DF	Jordan Bos	23	Feyenoord
DF	Jason Geria	33	Albirex Niigata
DF	Kai Trewin	25	New York City
DF	Aziz Behich	35	Melbourne City
DF	Harry Souttar	27	Leicester City
DF	Cameron Burgess	30	Swansea City
DF	Lucas Herrington	18	Colorado Rapids
MF	Connor Metcalfe	26	St. Pauli
MF	Ajdin Hrustic	29	Heracles Almelo
MF	Aiden O'Neill	27	New York City
MF	Cammy Devlin	27	Hearts
MF	Jackson Irvine	33	St. Pauli
MF	Paul Okon-Engstler	21	Sydney FC
FW	Mathew Leckie	35	Melbourne City
FW	Mohamed Toure	22	Norwich City
FW	Awer Mabil	30	Castellon
FW	Nestory Irankunda	20	Watford
FW	Cristian Volpato	22	Sassuolo
FW	Nishan Velupillay	25	Melbourne Victory
FW	Tete Yengi	25	Machida Zelvia

Predicted XI (4-3-3): Mathew Ryan; Jacob Italiano, Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar, Jordan Bos; Jackson Irvine, Aiden O'Neill, Connor Metcalfe; Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Toure, Awer Mabil

Players to Watch

Harry Souttar: The Leicester City center-back is a 6'7" monster who anchors the defensive line. He has an impressive international scoring record, bagging 11 goals in 37 caps which makes him a weapon on offensive set pieces.

Alessandro Circati: The 22-year-old enjoyed a brilliant club campaign at Parma to help the side stay in Serie A. He has been a captain for club and country and is set to stay in Australia's backline for years to come.

Jackson Irvine: The St. Pauli captain provides leadership and experience in the center of the park. He is a threat in the final third and his club connection with Connor Metcalfe adds another dimension to Australia's engine room.

Nestory Irankunda: Irankunda made 42 appearances for Watford, playing up front and out wide which makes him a versatile attacker. After a stint at Bayern Munich, the 20-year-old adds a touch of class alongside raw pace and shooting ability.

Mohamed Toure: The 22-year-old striker was a huge improver at Norwich last season, scoring 10 goals in 12 appearances for the Canaries. His pace and power in front of goal gives Australia a threat they have been missing in recent years.

Group D Schedule and Knockout Opponents

Australia make their way down the west coast, starting with Turkey in Vancouver followed by the United States in Seattle. They end the group stage in San Francisco where they will face Paraguay.

Date	Opponent	Venue
June 13	Turkey	BC Place, Vancouver
June 19	United States	Lumen Field, Seattle
June 25	Paraguay	Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

Topping Group D will see the Socceroos face a third placed team in the Round of 32 before taking on the Group G winners, expected to be Belgium.

Finishing second could see Australia meet Egypt before a Round of 16 match against the Group H winner, likely to be Spain.

Qualifying as a third placed team would see Tony Popovic's side meet a group winner which could be Germany, France, Portugal or Colombia.

2026 World Cup Winner Odds

Australia's chances of winning the World Cup is slim which is reflected in the 500/1 odds.

Team	Odds
Spain	5.50
France	6.00
England	7.00
Brazil	9.00
Argentina	9.00
Portugal	11.00
Germany	15.00
Netherlands	21.00
Norway	26.00
Belgium	34.00
Colombia	34.00
Japan	51.00
Morocco	51.00
USA	67.00
Uruguay	67.00
Switzerland	81.00
Mexico	81.00
Turkey	81.00
Croatia	81.00
Ecuador	101.00
Senegal	126.00
Sweden	126.00
Austria	151.00
Paraguay	151.00
Canada	151.00
Scotland	251.00
Bosnia and Herzegovina	251.00
Ivory Coast	301.00
Egypt	301.00
Czech Republic	301.00
Ghana	401.00
Algeria	401.00
South Korea	501.00
Australia	501.00
Tunisia	501.00
Iran	501.00
DR Congo	751.00
Saudi Arabia	1001.00
South Africa	1001.00
New Zealand	1501.00
Panama	1501.00
Iraq	1501.00
Uzbekistan	1501.00
Qatar	2001.00
Cape Verde	2001.00
Jordan	2501.00
Haiti	3001.00
Curacao	3501.00

Source: Stake.com and correct on 5 June 2026

Group D Winner Odds

Australia are long shots to top Group D with the United States and Turkey topping of the market.

Team	Odds
United States	2.35
Turkey	2.75
Paraguay	4.75
Australia	8.00

Source: Stake.com and correct on 5 June 2026

Australia Stage of Elimination Odds

The Socceroos are being given little chance of getting past the group stage. If they do, it is likely to be as a third placed team which would see them meet a big gun in the Round of 32.

Stage	Odds
Group Stage	1.80
Round of 32	3.00
Round of 16	5.50
Quarter-Final	17.00
Semi-Final	51.00
Runner-Up	201.00
Winner	501.00

Source: Bet365 and correct on 5 June 2026

Verdict

Australia are even money to get out of the group stage which is certainly achievable in Group D which is wide open.

The Socceroos have never got past the first knockout stage and I think that is where their campaign will come to an end.

Round of 32

Australia Stage of Elimination

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