Australia prepares for the 2026 World Cup with new talent
Australia is looking to confirm itself in the 2026 World Cup after a successful qualification phase under the direction of Tony Popovic, betting on new talents such as Nestory Irankunda and Cristian Volpato.
AUSTRALIA – Group D of the 2026 World Cup includes Türkiye (June 14), USA (June 19) and Paraguay (June 26). In this seventh World Cup in Australia's history – the sixth in a row – the team seeks to reaffirm itself, taking advantage of the good performance it had in the 2022 group stage, where it advanced after beating Tunisia and Denmark. Under the command of Tony Popovic, who took over as coach of the national team at the end of 2024, the Australian team aims to maintain evolution.
Road to the World Cup The journey started difficult with a 1-0 defeat against Bahrain in the third qualifying phase of the AFC. The draw with Indonesia led to the departure of former coach Arnold. However, after Popovic's arrival, the team recovered and suffered no more defeats, finishing the group stage with 18 points from the last 8 matches, including a crucial 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia, which guaranteed second place in the group, behind Japan, and a place in the World Cup.
The team Among the new talents, young Nestory Irankunda stands out, born in Tanzania and who moved to Australia with his parents. He made his A-League debut at the age of 16 and caught the attention of Bayern, who transferred him to Watford in July 2025. With 4 goals and 5 assists this season, Irankunda can bring creativity and speed to the attack, especially as a substitute. Another novelty is the call-up of Cristian Volpato, a Sassuolo player, who after choosing Italy in the youth categories, has now accepted Popovic's invitation to join the Socceroos. The Australian team is going through a renewal phase that promises to bring positive results.
Summoned Goalkeepers – Patrick Beach (Melbourne City), Paul Izzo (Randers), Matt Ryan (Levante) Defenders – Aziz Behich (Melbourne City), Jordan Bos (Feyenoord), Cameron Burgess (Swansea), Alessandro Circati (Parma), Milos Degenek (APOEL), Jason Geria (Albirex Niigata), Lucas Herrington (Colorado Rapids), Jacob Italiano (GAK), Harry Souttar (Leicester), Kai Trewin (New York City) Midfielders – Cameron Devlin (Hearts), Ajdin Hrustic (Heracles Almelo), Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli), Connor Metcalfe (St. Pauli), Paul Okon-Engstler (Sydney FC), Aiden O’Neill (New York City FC) Forwards – Nestory Irankunda (Watford), Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City), Awer Mabil (Castellon), Mohamed Tourè (Norwich City), Nishan Velupillay (Melbourne Victory), Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo), Tete Yengi (Machida Zelvia)
Probable formation (4-3-3): Ryan, Bos, Herrington, Degenek, Circati; Irvine, Metcalfe, O’Neill; Leckie, Tourè, Volpato. Coach: Popovic.