Socceroos World Cup 2026 squad: Projecting Australia’s 26-man squad
The next time we watch the Socceroos, they’ll be in the United States, facing hosts Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, and World Cup excitement will be in the air.
The players were dispersed to their clubs after the victories against Cameroon (1-0) and Curacao (5-1) in the FIFA Series and will not be able to meet again until their club seasons are over.
It has been 15 months since Popovic took over from Graham Arnold at a point when direct World Cup qualification was in serious jeopardy. He has since gotten the team back on track, securing Australia’s first win against Japan since 2009 and securing our sixth consecutive World Cup qualification.
It wasn’t always pretty, but it was effective.
Popovic will not announce his final 26-man squad for the World Cup until June 1, two days after their final warm-up match against Mexico. But a pretty clear picture is emerging of who is definitely in the final squad and who is fighting for the last few spots.
Here’s what we read about the state of the land, with a few important caveats: First, even a single injury could upset these plans; secondly, it depends largely on how Popovic splits the distinction between defenders, midfielders and forwards; and third, recent history shows that he always tends to throw a curveball that no one expects.
Keeper
On the plane: Maty Ryan, Paul Izzo
In the mixture: Patrick Beach, Joe Gauci
It’s pretty simple: RyanAustralia’s captain starts every match in the World Cup. Unlike 2022, he is playing regularly for his club Levante and it is probably a good thing that they are second in La Liga, as it means he is getting a lot of work done. Izzo He is clearly number two, so the only question here is who will be the third baseman. It looks like a battle between Melbourne City’s Beach And GauciHe plays on loan at Port Vale, which competes in League One from Aston Villa. The nose of the first one is forward.
center defenders
On the plane: Alessandro Circati, Cameron Burgess
In the mixture: Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Lucas Herrington, Kai Trewin, Kye Rowles
Outside luck: Harry Southtar
Circati And Burgess They are nailed down to start, but the spot to the right of the back three is up for grabs. herringtonThe 18-year-old was impressive on his debut against Cameroon but showed his vulnerabilities against Curacao, which could be exposed on the World Cup stage. If Popovic only signs six centre-backs (thus having a second player for each position), places for both may not be guaranteed DegenekA loyal servant of the Socceroos and geriaa reliable Popovic favorite. As a left foot player, Rowles‘ His inclusion makes sense and he was superb at the last World Cup, but he only got to compete in the FIFA Series because injury opened up a place for him. There’s also his former defense partner. southtarHe is yet to feature since suffering an Achilles injury in December 2024 and will need to establish solid form for Leicester City to be considered – but according to Qatar, he can certainly perform at a high level with even the barest of preparations. Trewin’s Its advantage is its versatility; He can also play in midfield and right-back, which will make it difficult to leave him out. But someone will probably get their heart broken.
Right wing back
On the plane: Jacob Italiano
In the mixture: Fran Karacic
Outside luck: Sam Silvera
With Popovic’s previous first choice Lewis Miller Sudden onset after spending the season with an injury Italian Looking back at the end of last year, it was a blessing. He is almost certain to start the World Cup after being called for an injury replacement in October. The Italiano has made almost no mistakes in his three appearances for the Socceroos and his recent form for Austrian club Grazer AK has also shown that he has a goalscoring streak. Beyond him Australia’s depth is limited, which is why Popovic played trewin He played there against Curacao and did well. Poor Karachic He has missed the last three windows due to injury but is a natural right winger that Popovic rates highly. Silvera He plays on the left for Middlesbrough, so he could pinch-hit there, but he hasn’t been seen much of late and didn’t do well in the recent Socceroos draft.
Left wing back
On the plane: Jordan Bos, Aziz Behich
In the mixture: Callum the Elder
The most established part of the team. Boss He is arguably Australia’s best player and is getting better with every game he plays for Feyenoord. Behiç not only a good and experienced coach to have in the dressing room, but also an extremely reliable alternative; Popovic could even choose to start if he wants to take a more defensive position or keep Bos’ physical dynamism on the bench instead. old next best option but only goes if one of them gets injured. Touch wood.
central midfield
On the plane: Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill
In the mixture: Patrick Yazbek, Paul Okon-Engstler, Max Balard, Alex Robertson
Outside luck: Cammy Devlin, Dylan Scicluna
Irvine He is managing a foot injury that Popovic initially feared would keep him out of the World Cup; F.C. St. Everything he does for Pauli seems to be working as he continues to play regular football in the Bundesliga. The only reason he was left out of the FIFA Series squad was to avoid compromising his fitness, given the delicate nature of his condition. So assuming he stays fit, who will start next to him? O’Neill And YazbekBoth appear to be the most likely candidates, playing in Major League Soccer – but Okon-Engstler‘s passing range and youthful energy clearly impressed the coaching staff and may have left him behind. robertsonWhen he returned to the national team setup, he only got a small taste of the bench against Curacao. ballardFor whatever reason, he fell out of favor when Popovic summoned him Devlin many times but I’ve never actually played with it so it’s hard to imagine it would be considered. wildcard SciclunaOne of the A-League’s standout midfielders and one of the rare players to have been a consistent contributor for Western Sydney Wanderers this season; He has reportedly switched his allegiance from Malta to Australia, but is it realistic for him to make his debut at or just before the World Cup?
attacking midfielder
On the plane: Riley McGree, Connor Metcalfe, Nestory Irankunda, Ajdin Hrustic
In the mixture: Nishan Velupillay, Martin Boyle, Awer Mabil
Whatever you call this position; Attacking midfielder, inverted winger, number 10, but these are very important for Popovic’s setup. McGree He is certainly one of the first names on the Australian team sheet and has a chance of qualifying for the Premier League next season with Middlesbrough closing in on automatic promotion. christianCapable of playing a deeper role as well, he may be disappointing but offers something different from other options. Popovic is big metcalfe He is a reliable attacking option, even if he is weak in the field of fans and in the midfield. With in IranThe only question mark is whether he starts the game or is used as a so-called ‘game changer’ from the bench. Depending on the make-up of the rest of Popovic’s roster, he may need at least one; velupillayHe has yet to disappoint the Socceroos despite his patchy form for the Melbourne Victory, which could spell bad news for the veteran Like this and/or MabilSurprise recall in March.
Striker
On the plane: Muhammed Ture
In the mixture: Deni Juric
Outside luck: Ante Suto, Mitch Duke, Nick D’Agostino
Type He missed this window due to a groin injury which interrupted his good start at Norwich City. But he has time to get fit and if he can do that he will be Australia’s best forward. in Iran It carries a lot of promise of attack. We know Irankunda can feature as a player up front, but Popovic will want an alternative profile up front to give the Socceroos a different look. The problem is that no one has made a super compelling case. Jurik arguably the leader of the clubhouse, but hasn’t done enough to confirm his selection in the FIFA Series; SutoMeanwhile, he hasn’t played at all, which doesn’t bode well for his chances. It’s probably too late D’AgostinoHis return to Brisbane Roar was ruined by injury. It could be DukeDid the old warhorse sneak in? More performances like his stunt at Macarthur FC on Thursday night will help his cause. Or is Popovic planning to surprise us all by naming someone else?
PROJECTED 26-MAN FOOTBALL WORLD CUP TEAM
Goalkeepers: Maty Ryan, Paul Izzo, Patrick Beach
Defenders: Alessandro Circati, Cameron Burgess, Milos Degenek, Lucas Herrington, Kye Rowles, Jason Geria, Kai Trewin, Jordan Bos, Aziz Behich, Jacob Italiano
Midfielders: Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill, Patrick Yazbek, Paul Okon-Engstler, Alex Robertson, Riley McGree, Ajdin Hrustic, Connor Metcalfe
Forward: Mohamed Toure, Nestory Irankunda, Nishan Velupillay, Mitchell Duke, Martin Boyle
