Focus on the BIG picture.
Saturday, Dec 13, 2025
Outside the box.
Australia Eyes Automatic Qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
With a crucial match against Saudi Arabia ahead, the Socceroos aim to secure their spot in the tournament.
The Australian national football team, known as the Socceroos, is on the brink of securing a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Under the guidance of coach Tony Popovic, the team is eager to achieve automatic qualification in the third round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying process.
As of now, the Socceroos are in second place in their qualifying group, trailing behind Japan, which has already clinched its place in the tournament by finishing atop the group standings.
Australia's position is precarious, with one match remaining in the qualifying rounds.
A recent match result saw Saudi Arabia defeat Bahrain 2-0, thereby preventing Australia from securing automatic qualification before their final game.
To guarantee their place in the World Cup without further playoff complications, Australia must avoid a heavy defeat against Saudi Arabia in their upcoming match scheduled for Wednesday, 11 June, at 4:15 AM AEST at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
A loss by five goals or more would jeopardize their direct qualification.
In the event of a significant loss against Saudi Arabia, the Socceroos could potentially finish third or fourth in their group, which would lead them to a round-robin tournament scheduled for October.
This tournament will involve six nations divided into two groups of three, competing in a single round format.
The winners of each group would then advance to the World Cup.
If Australia were to fare poorly in this round-robin format, the possibility exists that they could miss participating in the World Cup for the first time since 2002. However, should they manage to secure a second-place finish, they would have the chance to enter the inter-confederation playoffs.
This would entail defeating the second-placed nation from the opposing group in a two-legged playoff, with the winner moving on to a six-nation playoff in March 2024, where the final two World Cup spots will be contested.
The stakes are high for the Socceroos, who recently achieved a notable victory against Japan, marking their first win over the team in 16 years, further fueling their aspirations for success in the World Cup qualification process.
Under the guidance of coach Tony Popovic, the team is eager to achieve automatic qualification in the third round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying process.
As of now, the Socceroos are in second place in their qualifying group, trailing behind Japan, which has already clinched its place in the tournament by finishing atop the group standings.
Australia's position is precarious, with one match remaining in the qualifying rounds.
A recent match result saw Saudi Arabia defeat Bahrain 2-0, thereby preventing Australia from securing automatic qualification before their final game.
To guarantee their place in the World Cup without further playoff complications, Australia must avoid a heavy defeat against Saudi Arabia in their upcoming match scheduled for Wednesday, 11 June, at 4:15 AM AEST at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
A loss by five goals or more would jeopardize their direct qualification.
In the event of a significant loss against Saudi Arabia, the Socceroos could potentially finish third or fourth in their group, which would lead them to a round-robin tournament scheduled for October.
This tournament will involve six nations divided into two groups of three, competing in a single round format.
The winners of each group would then advance to the World Cup.
If Australia were to fare poorly in this round-robin format, the possibility exists that they could miss participating in the World Cup for the first time since 2002. However, should they manage to secure a second-place finish, they would have the chance to enter the inter-confederation playoffs.
This would entail defeating the second-placed nation from the opposing group in a two-legged playoff, with the winner moving on to a six-nation playoff in March 2024, where the final two World Cup spots will be contested.
The stakes are high for the Socceroos, who recently achieved a notable victory against Japan, marking their first win over the team in 16 years, further fueling their aspirations for success in the World Cup qualification process.
