The Socceroos’ final World Cup squad was announced on Monday morning with several winners and losers emerging as Tony Popovic handed down his final verdict.
Australia will have a host of exciting fresh faces as they tackle Turkiye, the United States and Paraguay in Group D with 17 of the 26 squad members making their World Cup debuts.
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That fact is also why Popovic has leant on experienced heads to ease the pressure on the first timers with several of the heroes of Qatar four years ago holding their place.
The manager made the importance of his senior players clear in Sunday’s 1-0 friendly loss to tournament co-hosts Mexico.
Of course, there is one new addition who is attracting more attention than most with Popovic making a call on a 22-year-old, who rejected Graham Arnold before the last World Cup, that will certainly divide opinion.
Scroll down for the winners and losers from the Socceroos World Cup squad announcement!
WINNERS
Cristian Volpato
There is no bigger winner in the squad announcement than the Sassuolo winger.
Volpato has been a divisive figure in Australian football ever since he first knocked back the Socceroos in order to pursue his dream of playing for Italy.
“Ever since I was a young kid, my dream was always to play for the Azzurri,” the Italian underage representative told football360.com.au.
“Growing up with the 2006 (World Cup win), I had all the players on my wall. Obviously my dad, my nonno, they were all just mad crazy about the Azzurri.
“And obviously them being my idols, you grow up and you follow your dad or your nonno, so it’s always been my dream.”
Discourse surrounding the former Roma prodigy ramped up earlier this year when Popovic and his assistant Paul Okon were spotted at one of Volpato’s matches.
But it looked like their discussions had been unsuccessful when in a post-game press conference in March, Volpato assured journalist that “I’m waiting for Italy”.
The Sydney born and raised winger has obviously had a change of heart though, switching his allegiance on Friday.
Even though Volpato has always been honest about his Italy ambitions, he has also stressed that he maintains a strong connection to the country of his birth.
“My dad still lives there, my sister still lives there, all my cousins live there. I was born and raised in Australia. I miss living there a bit. But I’m used to the European, the Italian, lifestyle now,” Volpato said.
“But Australia is always home.”
As for Popovic, the manager simply believes the talented player will make the Socceroos squad stronger as they try to make it out of the group stage for a third time ever.
“I’ve already spoken many times about the conversations we had and where it was left back in February. What’s changed? The player wants to play for Australia. That’s what’s happened,” Popovic said on Saturday.
“We didn’t chase him up or [ask] ‘Have you changed your mind? Can you come to the World Cup?’ We’ve always appreciated him as a footballer. That hasn’t changed, but I have to always respect the player’s decision. And I’ve always done that.
“And once he made a decision that he wants to represent Australia, well, now there’s a decision that we have to make. Do we go through the process? How quick can that process be? Is it worth doing now? Putting everything together, we’ve come to the conclusion that we’ll take that process further. Fortunately, that’s all been ticked off.”
Socceroos STUNNED by Volpato switch | 01:57
Tete Yengi
The other uncapped member of the squad – who was not one of the 65 players used in qualifying.
Yengi is the bolter in Popovic’s squad after scoring six goals in 22 appearances across the JLeague 1 and the AFC Champions League Elite for Machida Zelvia this season.
On loan from Scottish Championship outfit Livingston, the 25-year-old tall striker also scored the winning goal in an AFC Champions League quarter-final.
Japan-born Yengi had never even been in a national squad until joining the Socceroos camp roughly a week ago and now could join his older brother Kusini, who did not make the World Cup squad, in donning the green and gold.
Yengi will be hoping to make a splash with his football rather than the incident he is perhaps best known for at present.
He was headbutted on the chin during Machida Zelvia’s Champions League final loss to Saudi side Al Ahli.
Al Ahli’s Zakaria Hawsawi squared up to Yengi near the sideline and earned himself a red card by headbutting his much taller opponent.
Mathew Leckie
Popovic’s desire for experience paved the way for Leckie’s return to national colours for the first time since 2024.
The 35-year-old started against Mexico on Sunday and along with Socceroos skipper Mat Ryan is now off to his fourth World Cup – matching Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan’s national record.
Not long ago, Leckie’s chances of making that slice of history appeared slim.
The man who scored the winner against Denmark in Qatar made just seven appearances for Melbourne City in the recently concluded A-League season.
But an impressive display in City’s elimination final loss on penalties to eventual champions Auckland FC convinced Popovic.
“If you watch the game just played, Mathew Leckie was the best player on the park at 35 with no football under his belt,” he told reporters before flying out to the United States for the pre-tournament training camp.
“That, a young player can’t do just yet. That’s the difference.
“That’s what you need at a World Cup. Will he make the World Cup? It will come down to his body.
“But if you just look at the quality he could do at 35 with no football under his belt, a young player can’t do that.
“That’s just normal. He will maybe do it in time with experience, maturity and strength. They offer something different. They offer raw talent, the quality they have. You can see something is there.
“But we’re not talking about friendly games now. We’re talking about the World Cup.
“I think he showed on the weekend the difference. That’s the difference.”
Mat Ryan
The question over the captain’s place in the team was put to bed many months ago, but like Leckie, Ryan’s World Cup place did not look so assured last year.
The shot stopper was recalled to the national squad last October after missing out previously while his club future was up in the air.
Ryan eventually landed at Levante in Spain and as he racked up the minutes, he quickly returned to being Australia’s No.1.
Most promisingly for the Socceroos ahead of Ryan’s fourth straight World Cup is that his form has got better and better in recent months.
The 34-year-old was instrumental between the posts as Levante won five of their last eight matches to avoid relegation for La Liga.
Ryan kept four clean sheets in that stretch and throughout the season made highlights with several spectacular saves, including a double save against Barcelona.
Harry Souttar
The big defender was always in a race against the clock, but has made it to the start line to feature at a second straight World Cup.
The towering 27-year-old spent more than a year on the sidelines with an Achilles injury and only returned to the pitch for the final two games of Leicester City’s disastrous campaign that ended in relegation from the Championship.
In positive signs for Australia, Souttar did score a header in one of those games and also made his first Socceroos start since 2024 against Mexico.
He played the full 90 minutes in California in a huge step forward and Souttar’s presence alongside Alessandro Circati and Lucas Herrington in central defence undoubtedly made the Socceroos stronger.
He was one of the heroes of Qatar with several massive tackles and blocks in the group stage victories against Denmark and Tunisia before a gallant display against Argentina in the Round of 16.
“If you watch [Souttar] perform, and you watch those two games, there is presence, there is aura, and there is a leader,” Popovic said on the eve of Australia’s pre-tournament camp.
“You can’t get that in a young player overnight. That takes time. He’s done it at a World Cup when he played, also underdone.”
LOSERS
Martin Boyle
The heartbreak story of the squad announcement was that Boyle will miss a second straight World Cup.
A regular in national team squads throughout qualifying campaigns, an Asian Cup and friendlies, Boyle now looks unlikely to ever play in a World Cup.
The 33-year-old Hibernian forward has scored ten goals in 41 international appearances but has been the unlucky player to make way given Cristian Volpato committed to the Socceroos.
Boyle was devastated four years ago when he suffered an ACL injury on the eve of the tournament in Qatar and now it is a second straight time that his World Cup hopes have been dashed at the death knock.
He is also regarded as one of the best teammates and people to have around the group within Australian ranks.
Boyle endeared himself to Socceroos fans off the pitch after the playoff victory against Peru in 2022 to secure their place at the World Cup by sharing a photo of himself in bed in his playing kit on social media after lengthy celebrations at the team hotel’s swim up bar.
Riley McGree
The Middlesborough midfielder’s World Cup dream ended last week when it was confirmed he would miss the tournament with a hamstring injury.
McGree came off the pitch in the 76th minute of Middlesborough’s Championship playoff final loss to Hull at Wembley Stadium and was forced to watch from the sidelines as his Premier League promotion hopes were dashed.
In Qatar four years ago, McGree started in all four games and assisted Mathew Leckie’s goal against Denmark that put the Socceroos through the Round of 16 for just the second time.
McGree was instrumental in Australia reaching this year’s World Cup too by setting up Aziz Behich’s goal to defeat Japan and effectively secure qualification last June.
He has also been in impressive form at club level, scoring a goal in the playoff semi-final for Middlesborough, while finding the back of the net on five other occasions and providing three assists across the Championship season.
McGree was set to be a certain starter for Popovic and will be sorely missed by the Socceroos.
Kye Rowles
Like Boyle, Rowles featured in the matchday squad against Mexico was left on the bench in the final audition.
Like McGree, Rowles featured in Qatar four years ago.
The 27-year-old played every minute of all four matches in Qatar alongside Harry Souttar in the heart of the Socceroos defence.
Rowles has largely been out of favour under Popovic, however, and has essentially been usurped in the pecking order by the emergence of 18-year-old centre back Lucas Herrington.
Rowles made the move to the United States with MLS battles DC United last year – where he is the highest paid Australian in the league, earning $1.04 million a season based on the MLS Players Association’s annual salary guide.
He was formerly with Hearts, who fell agonisingly short of winning a historic Scottish Premiership title last month.
Joe Gauci
The 25-year-old goalkeeper’s time in Socceroos colours may still come, but his fall down the goalkeeper pecking order has been drastic.
When Popovic took over in 2024, Gauci started between the posts in the manager’s first three matches in charges.
The Aston Villa player spent the season just gone on loan at Port Vale, who were relegated from League One to League Two.
Gauci was bought by Villa from Adelaide United two years ago, but has never featured for the Europa League champions – having spent the previous season on loan at Barnsley.
The writing was on the wall for the shot stopper’s World Cup hopes when he was left out of the matchday squad for Sunday’s friendly against Mexico.
Brandon Borrello
The fourth member of the 30-man training squad to miss the final cut.
Borrello ultimately paid the price for an underwhelming A-League campaign for the bottom-placed Western Sydney Wanderers.
Understandably, it is difficult for a striker in a team languishing at the foot of the table, but Borrello scored four goals and provided two assists in 22 games.
They are not the sort of numbers that command selection and in the end, he was overtaken in the queue by Tete Yengi.
The 30-year-old was also not helped by a groin injury during November’s international window that inhibited him from pressing his claims to Popovic.