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Rale Rasic’s pioneers gave every Socceroos team who followed something to aspire to when they made Australia’s first trip to the FIFA World Cup finals in 1974.
They also started something of a trend for the Aussies.
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The ’74 Roos faced West Germany, East Germany and Chile in their group, earning a solitary point with a scoreless draw against the South Americans. Their 3-0 loss to West Germany at least gave them the distinction of having been beaten by the tournament winners, with the Franz Beckenbauer-led side defeating Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands 2-1 in the final.
The Socceroos have lost to the eventual tournament champion in four of their six World Cups. The other champions were Italy (1-0, Round of 16, 2006), France (2-1, Group D, 2018) and Argentina (2-1, Round of 16, 2022).
For a nation divided by three other major football codes, Australia’s achievements on the world game’s biggest stage have been commendable.
And when things have been good for our Socceroos, they’ve been bloody brilliant.
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Socceroos ready for World Cup heat | 00:48
2006: THE LEGEND OF TIM CAHILL BEGINS
Timmy Cahill was furious leading into the game that made him a legend.
The night before facing Japan in Kaiserslautern, he’d been told that he would start Australia’s first World Cup match in 32 years.
But on game day, he was benched by master coach Guus Hiddink.
“It was the first time ever I’ve sat in the back of a team meeting, because I didn’t want to sit at the front or middle and let the boys see me crying,” Cahill told Simon Hill in 2018.
Teammate Luke Wilkshire recalled the midfielder being “burning mad”. Assistant coach Graham Arnold reckoned Cahill quickly shifted into revenge mode.
“The biggest thing for me was his reaction,” Arnold told foxsports.com.au in 2022.
”He went from pissed off to, ‘When I get on the pitch, I’m gonna show him, he’ll never f***ing do this again to me’.”
The rest is history.
Cahill came on in the 53rd minute, with the Socceroos trailing 1-0, and scored a brace within five minutes; an opportunistic strike near the goal mouth, then a curling beauty from outside the area. Neither gave Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi any chance.
The first goal brought relief. The second sparked delirium.
“TIM CAHILL HAS DONE IT AGAIN! What a goal by Tim Cahill!” yelled enthralled caller Simon Hill. 2-1 Australia, before John Aloisi made it 3-1.
Arnold said Cahill was intent on making history that day.
“He knew, and I didn’t even know it, but he knew that Australia had never scored a goal at the World Cup,” Arnold said.
“So I think the biggest disappointment initially was, ‘What happens if someone scores before I get on?’ He wouldn’t have that label.
“And you could see from the moment he warmed up and it was just, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do it’. And he went on there and did it. That’s Timmy Cahill.”
While there was delirium on the sidelines, it was all business post-game given that it was only the opening match.
“Even in the changeroom I didn’t really celebrate,” Cahill said.
“It was like we were driven into robots. Guus, Johan Neeskens … we had a lot of experienced boys that never let you get carried away.”
Next up was defending champion Brazil, and a 2-0 loss, before a date with destiny on a seismic night in Stuttgart.
2006: IT JUST HAD TO BE HARRY
Australia needed only a draw to progress against Croatia in their final Group F game. That looked in jeopardy when Dario Srna scored a screamer for the Croatians in just the second minute.
Craig Moore equalised for the Socceroos with a penalty, but then came an almighty howler from Zeljko Kalac, who replaced Mark Schwarzer as goalkeeper for the high-stakes clash. Croatian captain Niko Kovac fired a relatively tame shot at Kalac early in the second half and an awkward bounce saw big ‘Spider’ fumble the ball into his net.
At that stage, the Socceroos were headed home. But not on Harry Kewell’s watch.
The superstar winger scored the most important goal of his national team career in the 79th minute when he lashed home from close range with his non-preferred right foot past Croatian keeper Stipe Pletikosa, after a probing ball into the area from Mark Bresciano.
“The ball came across so I took it with my left and hit it with my right,” Kewell told My Football in 2022.
“Seeing that ball go into the back of the net, you can see the relief on my face because I had just scored on the biggest stage of football.
“That’s exciting, not many people get the opportunity to score and as it turned out, the goal was the one that sent us through to the last 16, which we were never expected to make.”
Kalac added: “Harry’s goal was a saviour and you’re relieved that your mate has got yourself out of a bit of strife.”
The instantly iconic call of that goal came from Hill, who declared: “HARRY KEWELL HAS DONE IT! Australia’s golden boy has come up with a golden goal.”
The end of the game was bizarre.
Socceroos mainstay Brett Emerton was marched with a second yellow card, before Aussie-born Croatian defender Josip Simunic was finally sent off after a THIRD yellow from referee Graham Poll.
Australia might have won that game 3-2 if not for Poll, who blew full-time the moment before Aloisi looked to have scored a third Socceroos goal.
“I asked him, ‘Why did you blow the whistle? The ball was in the back of the net virtually,’ and he said, ‘Don’t worry you’re through, you should celebrate’, and I said, ‘Yeah but we could have won the game, I could have had another goal at a World Cup’,” Aloisi told Wide World of Sports in 2022.
“I was gutted for about 20 seconds and then after that I just started celebrating because we were through – but it’s one of those things that lives with me because I could have had another goal at a World Cup, how good would that have been?”
Australia went on to the Round of 16 for the first time, copping a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to 10-man Italy. Fabio Grosso made the most of contact from Lucas Neill, a penalty was awarded and Francesco Totti slammed it home in the 95th minute.
2010: HOLMAN HEROICS IN SOUTH AFRICA
The 2010 World Cup Socceroos finished with the same number of group points – four – as they had four years earlier, yet the vibe of the campaign in South Africa was much different.
Manager Pim Verbeek wheeled out a conservative line-up for the opening match against Germany, which was duly hammered 4-0 by the European giant. The Aussies’ goal difference went straight to hell and ultimately it cost them a Round of 16 spot.
A 1-1 draw against Ghana, in which Kewell was sent off for a handball that delivered the African side’s equalising penalty, left Aussie hopes hanging by a thread heading into the final game against Serbia.
A 2-1 win in Nelspruit was not enough – but at least it brought a moment of magic.
The somewhat unlikely magician: Brett Holman. The attacking midfielder was genuinely gifted, yet maligned by pockets of Australian fans; as he discovered pre-tournament when someone started a Facebook group called “Brett Holman is a Joke”.
“It became a bit of a thing, I guess you could call it,” Holman told the Greats With Garby podcast in 2020.
“And it wasn’t great, it wasn’t nice, because it started to affect my family more than anything.
“When I read things when you’re trying to represent people or fans, wherever that may be, that was the hardest thing – because you’re actually representing your country. You’re not going to want to travel all the way across the world to not play well.
“That was disappointing I suppose in a way, from supporters in general. But they’re probably minorities in regards to someone wanting your head on the chopping block and other players in.”
Holman had already scored the Aussies’ goal against Ghana, a rebound from goalkeeper Richard Kingson after a wicked Mark Bresciano free kick.
His strike against Serbia was something else entirely.
Holman was back on the bench for that final group match, having started against Ghana only in the absence of Cahill who was red-carded against Germany. The talismanic midfielder-cum-striker duly scored Australia’s opener against Serbia, three minutes after Holman came on midway through the second half.
Just another four minutes later … WOW.
“Brett Holman, from long range! He’s done it again, Brett Holman! Fantastic strike!” Australian commentator David Basheer called on SBS.
The Serbian defence had headed a clearance to halfway, prompting several teammates to surge forward. Yet Jason Culina deftly found Holman, suddenly in space.
He took about 20 quick paces on the dribble and was still 10 metres outside the area when he fired a low rocket past Serbian goalie Vladimir Stojković. It took a bounce just before the six-yard box, but still blasted into the left bottom corner of the net.
“I think nine out of 10 times I probably wouldn’t have even shot from there,” Holman said.
“But it all just fell in to place for me at that time. I think (the confidence) was born from the whole camp beforehand, scoring the winner against New Zealand before we left.
“I felt so great in our training camp. I was pumped, I was hungry and it was my time. That’s what I felt.”
2014: MARK BRESCIANO … AAAAAAWWWWW
A brief departure from the football itself, for a marvellous moment from Mark Bresciano.
Having already been central to so many Socceroos triumphs, Bresciano went viral for this little act of kindness in the pressure-filled moments before Australia launched its 2014 World Cup campaign against Chile.
The Socceroos walked out with their child mascots. Bresciano noticed that a little fella on crutches needed a hand with his shoelaces. In one of the biggest moments of his career, the first match of his final World Cup, the veteran midfielder didn’t hesitate.
Class. He did Australia proud, and the world loved this special image.
Cahill scored again in that game, despite a loss for Australia, giving him goals at three World Cups.
2014: THE SUPER TIM SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD
Having drawn both the winner and runner-up from the previous World Cup, in Spain and The Netherlands respectively, plus a 14th-ranked Chile side, Australia was well and truly up against it at the 2014 tournament.
New coach Ange Postecoglou picked a relatively young squad and demanded fearless football against the heavyweights. The Socceroos left the tournament without a single point. Three losses … but also one unforgettable moment against the Dutch from Timmy Cahill.
Ryan McGowan was Cahill’s unlikely accomplice, right after Australia conceded the opener from Arjen Robben. After Mat Leckie was clattered off the ball, McGowan launched it from the deep right to just inside the area, clearing the defenders and dropping it onto Cahill’s left foot.
BANG! Rather than attempt a trademark header, Cahill let it fall for a volley, swung his unflavoured foot with pure conviction, and blasted it in off the underside of the crossbar.
Basheer called it for SBS: “The ball’s dangerous … TIM CAHILL! He’s done it again, can you believe it?! Tim Cahill equalises for Australia and produces another golden moment in World Cup football.” An elated Craig Foster responded: “That’s an UNBELIEVABLE strike! Timmy Cahill, that is the goal of this tournament and many tournaments prior. That’s an EXTRAORDINARY goal!”
The reaction was crazy.
“Wow! Tim Cahill has scored an absolute stonker!” England great Gary Lineker tweeted immediately, while French icon Thierry Henry was also dazzled. “In terms of beauty, the goal scored by Tim Cahill against the Dutch was the best so far,” he told the BBC.
Cahill said he had taken the chance without fear, despite it being a low-percentage strike.
“It just felt so right to hit it, and I hit it sweetly,” Cahill said after the game.
“That one’s up there,” he then told FourFourTwo Magazine in 2019. “I’ve always been a strong believer in just taking a chance.
“I know I’m either going to hit the back of the net or Row Z, and mentally it doesn’t bother me if it hits Row Z as I will do it again – I’ll look for another moment to make somebody say, ‘Wow’.
“I can’t explain how it felt to score that goal – it was like an out-of-body experience. All you can do to understand how much it meant to me is watch it and see me going crazy during the celebrations.”
Cahill was right in the mix for goal of the tournament, yet it was a red-hot field that year. Colombia’s James Rodriguez won the gong for a sublime volley against Uruguay in which he took the ball on his chest with his back to goal, turned and rifled home from nearly 30 metres. He also claimed FIFA’s Puskas Award, while Robin van Persie’s iconic diving header against Spain also featured at that World Cup.
Still, Cahill gave Australia the finest of his 50 Socceroos goals, and a priceless memory from an otherwise tough campaign. It was his fifth and last World Cup goal.
2022: GOODWIN GASPS AND LITTLE DUKEY’S DELIGHT
Russia 2018 wasn’t kind to Australia. Postecoglou cracked it with the Socceroos job and quit after qualifying, leaving Football Australia to hand the reins for the World Cup to Dutchman Bart van Marwijk.
Though van Marwijk had guided The Netherlands to the 2010 final, he was an uninspired appointment who showed little faith in his men. Daniel Arzani was the bright spot, starring at age 19 as the youngest player in the tournament.
The Socceroos earned a solitary point in a group containing France (2-1), Denmark (1-1) and Peru (2-0), scoring their only two goals via skipper Mile Jedinak from the penalty spot.
Craig Goodwin gave the Qatar 2022 campaign a different feel right from the outset. He gave Australia the lead inside nine minutes against defending champion France with a sweet left-foot finish and although the scoreline blew out to a 4-1 defeat, the Socceroos led for nearly 20 minutes against a side that only narrowly missed out on another trophy that tournament.
“An incredibly proud moment, obviously honoured to represent my country at the World Cup and to score is an amazing feeling,” Goodwin said. “But you know, mixed feelings because we lost the game in the end.
“Pure elation. You know, scoring any goal is a joy and almost indescribable in feeling, but to score in the World Cup against the reigning World Cup champions is a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Tunisia were a far more likely scalp for Graham Arnold’s side. And the Aussies were up for it against the North Africans – especially rugged striker Mitch Duke, who entered the match telling everyone who would listen that he was going to score.
In the 23rd minute in Al Wakrah, Duke flicked on a clever header that beat Tunisian goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen at the far post. It sparked touching scenes as Duke shared a special gesture with his young son, Jaxson, who was watching from the stands.
“I spoke to my son as I got selected in the World Cup and as a striker you need to have that confidence and believe you’re going to score in every match,” Duke said.
“I was messaging some of my family saying I was going to score today and I told my son I was going to be able to share this moment with him and do that celebration.
“The gesture was the letter J – the first letter of his name. I haven’t seen it yet but apparently he did it back to me which is a very special moment I’m going to treasure for the rest of my life.”
It proved to be the winner, the only goal as Australia claimed a first World Cup victory in 12 years thanks to Duke; who was then playing in Japan’s second division.
“The moment I scored was pure ecstasy. It was a crazy moment for me,” he said.
“After Craig Goodwin scored we were told he was the seventh Australian player to score at a World Cup. I said to Arnie (coach Graham Arnold) a couple of days ago that I was going to be the eighth … or ninth.
“I’m very happy to be the eighth. It was honestly a tough game, we knew they were going to be aggressive for the whole 90 minutes. I felt the boys did their jobs perfectly, we matched them physically.”
2022: LECKIE’S LEGENDARY DENMARK GOAL PUTS ROOS THROUGH
The Socceroos were then up against world No.10 Denmark for a spot in the final 16. They were heavy underdogs, with the Danes classed pre-tournament as a dark horse for the trophy.
Denmark began the game with that type of quality. Aussie goalkeeper Maty Ryan was kept busy. The Socceroos were under immense pressure.
Yet they held. Arnold was intent on bringing fighting spirit back to the shirt after the listless campaign of 2018 and he was true to his word.
Mathew Leckie was in his third World Cup that year, with a stack of excellent performances for Australia to his credit but perhaps no defining moment. He found one on the hour mark at the Al Janoub Stadium, in unforgettable fashion.
Attacking midfielder Riley McGree was quick to spot his winger in space and sent an assured ball from the left straight to Leckie’s feet. From there, a moment of Aussie wizardry was conjured as Leckie turned Danish defender Joakim Maehle inside out with a weaving run.
He went right. He went left. His shot, a left-footer cutting back to the far post, beat Premier League-winning goalie Kasper Schmeichel.
It was world-class. Breathtaking. And it delivered a 1-0 win that sent Australia through.
Basheer called the goal for SBS: “It’s on for Mathew Leckie. Mathew Leckie … cuts back inside, one way then the other … AND HE SCORES FOR AUSTRALIA!”
It was a goal of pure instinct.
“I think in those moments you don’t think too much, you don’t have time to think, you know it all happened so fast. It was a great ball and I had one more man to beat,” Leckie said.
“Low and hard, it’s difficult for a keeper to save and as I soon as I saw it was going in, I was so excited and so happy.
“I think by the celebration you can see how much emotion there was. I’m just so proud you know, we’ve worked so hard … My first World Cup goal is probably one of the most important goals for me and for the team.”
Arnie’s men had somehow emulated the golden generation, becoming only the second Socceroos team to reach the World Cup knockout phases.
“Proud, exhausted, everything. It’s hard to describe the emotions right now. We always knew we could do it. We believed,” Leckie told SBS post-match.
“That last 15, 20 minutes, we battled to the end. It didn’t matter what they threw at us. We weren’t conceding.”
An elated Arnold said: “It’s the first time ever an Australian team’s won two games at a World Cup, in a row, maybe we’re talking about a new golden generation.
“Because I’ve been listening and hearing about that golden generation of 2006, they got four points, and now we’ve got six, so maybe we’re talking about a new generation.”
Australia’s reward was a Round of 16 match against Lionel Messi’s Argentina. They gave a fine account of themselves against the eventual tournament winners.
Messi and Julian Alvarez scored for Argentina, before Goodwin fired a shot that deflected off Enzo Fernandez in the 77th minute and counted as an own-goal. Teenager Garang Kuol was narrowly denied by Argentina keeper Emi Martinez in a one-on-one, giving Australia a moment to wonder what might have been, had he managed to score. It ended 2-1.
“It was a very strong and difficult match. We knew it was going to be this way,” said Messi — who cemented his legend by scoring two goals in the final, before Argentina beat defending champion France in a penalty shootout.
Just as the golden generation had with Italy in 2006, those 2022 Socceroos pushed the eventual winner to the brink.
Leckie and Ryan will match Cahill with a record fourth World Cup campaign for Australia at the 2026 tournament.
