FIFA World Cup 2026: From four-time veterans to late bolter Volpato, here's your Socceroos World Cup guide
Tue 9 Jun 2026 at 4:47am
Here's your guide to everything you need to know about the players who make up the Socceroos. (Getty Images: James Worsford)
Australia is in a sixth-consecutive men's World Cup, but this one looks a lot different to when the Socceroos golden generation made it to the knockout rounds in 2006, or the Qatar World Cup of 2022.
It's a 48-team tournament, being staged across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with Australia drawing a host nation for the first time since the 1974 edition.
The first match of the tournament gets underway at 5am on Friday (AEST) between Mexico and South Africa, while Australia plays its first match on Sunday at 2pm. ABC Sport will be live blogging every match of the tournament.
Coach Tony Popovic has unveiled the 26 players selected to take on Türkiye, the USA, and Paraguay, and perhaps beyond.
Mat Ryan and Mathew Leckie will head to a record-equalling fourth World Cup, joining Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan as the only other Australian men to achieve the feat.
18-year-old Lucas Herrington has capped off a meteoric rise over the past few months to head to his first, alongside Cristian Volpato, who only switched allegiance from Italy days before the squad was announced.
Here's your complete guide to these players, and the rest, tasked with taking Australia deep into the expanded tournament.
Goalkeepers
Age: 34
Born: Plumpton, New South Wales
Club: Levante UD (Spain)
With 104 games for Australia, Ryan is going to his fourth World Cup. His penalty save against Saudi Arabia in his 100th appearance helped the Socceroos qualify.
Ryan joined Spanish side Levante in August from French club RC Lens, and despite missing the opening two games of the season, went on to make the third most saves of any goalkeeper in the league.
His performances in goal were crucial for Levante, as they pulled off a miracle escape from relegations to stay in Spain's top flight.
Interestingly, Ryan was selected for six of the eight friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup, but made just three appearances, as Tony Popovic gave opportunities to other contenders.
But his inclusion in games against Cameroon, Curaçao, and Mexico showed he remains the preferred choice in goal.
Age: 31
Born: Adelaide, South Australia
Club: Randers (Denmark)
Izzo's talent was recognised from a young age, representing Australia at under-17, -20 and -23 level. The 31-year played for Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory in the A-League, before moving to Danish side Randers in 2024.
A hip injury ruled him out of the opening four games of the season, but he's since enjoyed an uninterrupted run as Randers' first choice stopper.
He made his international debut in September 2025, and has since cemented his place in the squad.
Age: 22
Born: Sydney, New South Wales
Club: Melbourne City (Australia)
At 22, Patrick Beach is among the youngest members of the Socceroos squad, but has already enjoyed professional success. He was part of Melbourne City's A-League winning side in 2025.
His debut for Australia came in November 2025 against Venezuela amid excellent form for City both in the A-League and the AFC Champions League.
It's unlikely Beach will see minutes for Australia at this tournament, but his selection is an indication of how highly he's rated.
Popovic hinted at the future for Beach by keeping him around the Socceroos during recent international friendlies, and he started in the team's final warm up game against Switzerland.
Defenders
Age: 35
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Club: Melbourne Victory (Australia)
At his third World Cup, Behich has been a fixture in the Socceroos for years. He started all four games at the 2022 tournament, and almost scored the equaliser against Argentina in the Round of 16.
At 35, he's an elder statesman in the squad, but has shown no signs of slowing down. Behich scored what was ultimately the goal that sealed the Socceroos berth at this year's World Cup - a stunner against Japan in their qualifier in Perth last year.
Behich was injured or overlooked for the six friendlies Australia played in the back half of 2025, but was recalled to Popovic's squad for the March series of matches, where he made his first appearance in nine months.
With more than 80 caps under his belt, Behich's experience could be vital as the Socceroos navigate the tournament.
Age: 23
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Club: Feyenoord (Netherlands)
A seemingly never-ending run of injuries has seen Bos miss 42 games for club and country since the beginning of the 2023/24 season, including seven games this season for Feyenoord.
He underlined his importance to Tony Popovic and the Socceroos by scoring three goals in three games for Australia, and was instrumental in the Socceroos blowing away Curaçao in the second half of their March friendly.
Bos' rise has been swift. He signed his first professional deal with Melbourne City in 2021, and by 2023 was playing in Belgium. His move to KVC Westerloo was reportedly the most expensive transfer fee paid for an A-League player.
He joined Feyenoord ahead of the 2025/26 season, and has been a regular feature in manager Robin van Persie's side, including a stunning run of form in March which saw him provide four assists in four games.
Age: 22
Born: Fidenza, Italy
Club: Parma (Italy)
Circati has to be one of the closest things to a guaranteed starter for Popovic at this World Cup. The West Australian has been ever-present at Parma in Italy's Serie A, even wearing the captain's armband against Fiorentina in January.
He's also led Australia, named captain in just his seventh appearance for the national side, becoming the youngest national captain in 44 years.
The 22-year old scored his first international goal in the Socceroos win over Curaçao.
Holding both Australian and Italian nationality, the Perth Glory product almost didn't play for the Socceroos. In 2022, he was selected by Italy (his country of birth) for two Under-20s friendlies, but in June 2023 he committed to Australia.
"It's been 12 months of communication with the kid and he had two big decisions to make," then-Australia coach Graham Arnold said at the time.
"He said he wants to play for Australia, his heart has told him he wants to play for Australia."
Age: 30
Born: Aberdeen, Scotland
Club: Swansea City (England)
Another player who switched allegiances to Australia, Burgess had to bide his time for a Socceroos call-up.
The 30-year old was born in Scotland, and featured for the Scots at Under-18 and -19 level, but in 2014 opted to play for Australia. He was selected for the Olyroos at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but didn't earn a full cap until 2023, when he played against Mexico in a friendly.
Along with Alessandro Circati, Burgess has been a lock in recent Socceroos squads, playing a key role in qualifying for the World Cup, and has featured in every Socceroos match since October 2024.
Burgess played every Championship game for Swansea last season, and was even given the captain's armband against Bristol City. He also captained the side in four League Cup games.
Age: 27
Born: Aberdeen, Scotland
Club: Leicester City (England)
Harry Souttar has been something of a headache for the Socceroos - when fit, the Leicester City defender is an obvious starter, but fitness has been hard to come by.
A ruptured Achilles tendon saw him sidelined for 17 months. The Socceroos' friendly against Mexico on the eve of the World Cup was his first international appearance since November 2024. He then captained the side for the first time, in the final warm up game against Switzerland.
It's a similar scenario to the one he faced in 2022, where he went to Qatar with limited minutes following a knee injury, but was one of Australia's best performers.
The towering centre-back finally only returned to first-team football in April, when he was named on the bench for Leicester's one-nil loss to Swansea.
After three games on the bench, Souttar played the final two matches of Leicester's season, scoring a towering header in the process, but was unable to save City from relegation to League One.
Popovic's decision to include the 27-year old is a risk. Limited club minutes, and a long absence from the field, may leave him lacking match awareness and fitness, and fans will be sweating on every sprint or jump Souttar does on the field.
Interestingly, Souttar isn't the only member of his family at this World Cup. His brother, John, is playing for Scotland.
Age: 18
Born: Brisbane, Queensland
Club: Colorado Rapids (USA)
If you look up "bolter" in the dictionary, a picture of Lucas Herrington is all that appears. The 18-year old made his international debut in the March series, after just 34 professional games, including five for MLS side Colorado.
But injuries to Harry Souttar and Lewis Miller forced Socceroos coach Tony Popovic to expand his search for defenders, with Herrington impressing.
He played the full 90 minutes against Cameroon, and showed composure beyond his age, before playing the second half against Curaçao. He was again selected to start in the final two pre-World Cup friendlies.
The former Brisbane Roar defender has come through the youth ranks for the national side, playing at under-18, -19, and -20 level before his call-up.
Age: 32
Born: Knin, Croatia
Club: APOEL (Cyprus)
After playing all four of Australia's matches at the 2022 World Cup, Degenek appeared set to be a regular for the Socceroos. But injury and form saw him omitted from the national set-up for more than a year, before he forced his way back into the frame in late 2024.
He captained the side twice in 2025, but appears to have moved back down the pecking order with the emergence of 18-year-old centre-back Lucas Herrington.
Now at his third World Cup, Degenek brings valuable experience to the squad.
Age: 25
Born: Batemans Bay, New South Wales
Club: New York City FC (USA)
Trewin's move to New York City FC in January couldn't have come at a better time for the 24-year old. After 140 A-League games for Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City, he moved to fellow City Football Group club NYC FC.
Strong form in a more competitive league has seen him included in the Socceroos squad, and he brings flexibility with him.
His six caps have seen him play as a centre-back in the Socceroos back three, and also as a wing-back, which means he can deputise across defence.
Age: 24
Born: Perth, Western Australia
Club: Grazer AK (Austria)
The absence of Lewis Miller through injury leaves Australia short on the right of defence, and places a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Italiano.
He made a timely return to action for club side Grazer AK in the Austrian Bundesliga in February following a calf injury, in the same week Miller went down with an Achilles injury while playing for Blackburn.
While Italiano only made his debut for Australia last year, he's been on the radar for a long time. A former prodigy with Perth Glory, Italiano moved to German club Borussia Mönchengladbach as a 17-year old, though he never broke into the senior side.
He has five caps but appears to be coach Tony Popovic's first choice at right wing-back.
Age: 33
Born: Canberra, ACT
Club: Albirex Niigata (Japan)
Geria looked set for a solid international career after earning his first Socceroos cap in 2016, but but he had to wait more than eight years for another call-up, which came in a 2024 World Cup qualifying match against China.
Since then, he's missed selection just a handful of times, becoming a regular under Tony Popovic.
Geria offers Popovic flexibility, being able to play as a centre-back and on the right of defence, which is a valuable proposition with Harry Souttar still returning to full fitness, and the absence of Lewis Miller.
Midfielders
Age: 33
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Club: FC St. Pauli (Germany)
Captain of German club St Pauli, recently relegated from the Bundesliga, Irvine is a crucial piece of Tony Popovic's side.
With 82 Socceroos caps to his name, and at his third World Cup, the 33-year old's leadership will be vital as Australia aims to make it out of its group and into the knockout stages.
A stress fracture in his foot saw Irvine miss six months of football and undergo surgery in 2025, and a flare-up of the same injury in January threatened to derail his preparations for this World Cup.
He was left in Europe during the March series, and his absence was obvious. He returned for the Socceroos in their final two pre-World Cup friendlies against Mexico and Switzerland.
Age: 27
Born: Brisbane, Queensland
Club: New York City FC (USA)
O'Neill is another of the US based Socceroos, plying his trade at New York City FC alongside Kai Trewin, who will be at peak match fitness.
That's great news for Tony Popovic, considering that since his debut in 2023, O'Neill has missed national selection just once outside of his unavailability through injury, and is an all but certain starter for Australia at this World Cup.
He and Irvine are Popovic's preferred midfield pair, considering that since the beginning of 2024, when both are fully fit, Popovic has opted against playing them together on only four occasions, including in the March friendlies, when Irvine wasn't named in the squad.
There were some concerns over his fitness when he went down with an ankle injury in early May, but returned to partner Irvine against Mexico in the penultimate World Cup warm up.
Age: 29
Born: Dandenong, Victoria
Club: Heracles Almelo (Netherlands)
An almost constant starter for Dutch club Heracles Almelo, Hrustić is a trusty option for Tony Popovic across midfield. His greatest strength is his flexibility, used as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder and defensive midfielder by club manager Ernest Faber.
Hrustić has struggled to cement a starting spot in the Socceroos, used as a substitute in nearly half of his 37 appearances, which is likely going to be his role at this tournament.
He missed five of Heracles last six games of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in the Socceroos March series.
The 29-year old holds an interesting place in Australian soccer history - in 2022 he won the UEFA Europa League with Entracht Frankfurt, becoming the first Australian male to win the tournament.
He's also just the third Australian male to win a European club title, after Harry Kewell and Zeljko Kalac won the Champions League while at Liverpool and AC Milan respectively.
Age: 26
Born: Newcastle, New South Wales
Club: FC St. Pauli (Germany)
A knee issue derailed Metcalfe's start to 2026, forcing him to miss eight games for club side FC St. Pauli. Club minutes have been hard to come by for the central midfielder, used almost exclusively off the bench.
For Australia though, he's started in the vast majority of his 36 appearances. Depending on how Tony Popovic deploys his side, Metcalfe could find himself on the right of midfield.
In the March series, he was partnered with Aiden O'Neill in central midfield, but he will be hard pushed to replace Jackson Irvine in the starting line-up at this World Cup.
Age: 21
Born: Ostend, Belgium
Club: Sydney FC (Australia)
Son of former Socceroo and current Australia assistant, Paul Okon, Okon-Engstler has featured in each of Tony Popovic's past two squads before this World Cup, providing him an opportunity to impress.
Despite making just one start in his five Socceroos appearances before selection, he clearly did enough to convince Popovic to take him to North America.
At just 21, and with the quality in this squad, it appears more a selection for the future, allowing a young player to experience a major tournament without the pressure of performing.
That being said, he's been ever-present for Sydney FC, rarely playing anything other than 90 minutes per game.
Age: 27
Born: Sydney, New South Wales
Club: Heart of Midlothian (Scotland)
After bouncing around in the A-League for Sydney FC, Wellington and Newcastle, Devlin earnt a deal at Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian.
The 27-year was instrumental in helping Hearts the top of the SPL, with the club coming agonisingly close to being the first club outside of Rangers or Celtic to win the league since 1985.
An ankle injury ruled him out for two months earlier in the year, but he returned to finish the season strongly and force his way into the World Cup squad.
He has five caps, but wasn't selected for the March series as he recovered from injury, and was an unused substitute in the penultimate pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico.
Age: 35
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Club: Melbourne City (Australia)
A long-term hip injury ruined his 2026 A-League season, resulting in the Melbourne City veteran playing just seven games.
Four of those were at the back end of City's campaign, including a semi-final against Auckland FC in which he played 120 minutes as City went down on penalties.
It was this display, after just 49 minutes in total in his previous three matches, that caught Tony Popovic's attention.
"Mathew was the best player on the park, at 35 with no football under his belt — that, a young player can’t do as yet," Popovic said after naming Leckie in the Socceroos' train-on squad in May.
"That’s the difference, and that’s what you need at a World Cup."
Injury has limited Leckie to just three Socceroos matches since the beginning of 2023. But he earned his first cap in a year in the recent pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico, where he started. He then came off the bench in the final warm up against Switzerland.
He has form at the World Cup, scoring the winning goal against Denmark that put Australia through to the knockout stages.
2026 is Leckie's fourth World Cup.
Age: 30
Born: Kakuma, Kenya
Club: CD Castellon (Spain)
Prior to the March friendlies, Mabil appeared completely out of contention for a spot at this World Cup. He had only played in two games since the end of 2023, both off the bench.
But he was parachuted into the squad just a week out from Tony Popovic naming his final 26, as it became clear Riley McGree would miss the tournament with a hamstring in jury.
He featured heavily in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, and made two appearances off the bench in Qatar.
Mabil's goal against Curaçao in March was his first for Australia in three years.
Age: 22
Born: Camperdown, New South Wales
Club: Sassuolo (Italy)
The shock of the World Cup squad selection, Volpato only joined the train-on group days before Tony Popovic named the 26 players charged with representing Australia.
The winger had previously turned down an opportunity to play for the Socceroos ahead of the 2022 World Cup, citing his desire to play for Italy.
But, with Italy failing to qualify, Volpato made known his desire to play for Australia, resulting in a trip to Italy by Popovic and assistant Paul Okon.
Volpato played 24 games in Seria A this season, mostly off the bench, but with Riley McGree ruled out with a hamstring injury, his sudden availability was perfectly timed for the Socceroos.
Volpato played at under-19, -20 and -21 level for Italy, and Popovic made clear he believes in his potential.
His whirlwind switch was capped off when he made his Socceroos debut in the final warm up match against Switzerland.
Forwards
Age: 20
Born: Kigoma, Tanzania
Club: Watford (England)
Nestory Irankunda is the player Australia has been dreaming of - fast, powerful, creative and entertaining.
When he was 18, he became the youngest player to score an A-League Men's hat-trick, and the second-youngest in Australia's men's national soccer history to achieve the feat (after West Adelaide's John Panagis in 1984).
His achievements at Adelaide United earnt him a move to German giants Bayern Munich in 2024, which former Adelaide striker Bruce Djite described as a "watershed moment" for Australian soccer.
However, the move didn't pan out as the now 20-year old had hoped, sold to English Championship side, Watford, after just one year at Bayern.
He's featured heavily for The Hornets across the 2025-26 season, which has seen Tony Popovic include him in every game the Socceroos have played in the last year.
If there were any doubts as to his value to Australia, they were put to rest by his brilliant performance off the bench against Curaçao in March. Two goals in 23 minutes as a striker giving Popovic something to consider as he decides who will lead the line.
Age: 25
Born: Melbourne, Victoria
Club: Melbourne Victory (Australia)
A seemingly out-of-the-box selection by Tony Popovic, you would be forgiven for being surprised by the inclusion of Melbourne Victory's winger in the World Cup squad. But it pays to remember Popovic coached Nishan Velupillay for three years at Victory, and is acutely aware of his ability to play on both sides of attack.
The 24-year old was handed a last chance to impress during the friendly against Curaçao, and provided the assist for Nestory Irankunda's second goal.
It's hard to see Velupillay unseating any of Popovic's other attacking options from the starting side, but as a depth player, he could be very useful.
Age: 22
Born: Conakry, Guinea
Club: Norwich City (England)
Mohamed Touré could be the striker the Socceroos have long been looking for. The 21-year-old has been in imperious form since signing with England Championship side Norwich City in February. He scored five goals in his first three games for the club including a hat-trick in his starting debut.
He finished the season, including a win over West Brom in the FA Cup, with 10 goals and three assists from 12 games, including two hat-tricks.
Born in a refugee camp in Guinea, Touré has played nine matches for the Socceroos since debuting in 2023. In his first international start against New Zealand last September, he scored his only two goals for the Socceroos. He’s since become a regular member of the team.
Touré missed the Socceroos last two friendlies in Australia with a groin injury that came during his purple run with Norwich City, though he returned in early April, and provided two assists in Norwich's 2-1 win over Millwall.
He then set the league alight, scoring five goals in four games to finish the season with 10 goals from 11 appearances for the Canaries. And he returned for the Socceroos World Cup warm ups against Mexico and Switzerland.
His speed, strength, and accuracy on goal will make him a vital part of Tony Popovic’s World Cup squad.
Age: 25
Born: Adelaide, South Australia
Club: Machida Zelvia, (Japan), on loan from Livingston (Scotland)
The younger of the Yengi brothers, Tete left his emergence onto the national stage to the very last second. He was added to the Socceroos train-on squad just a week out from Tony Popovic naming his final 26 for the World Cup.
Even more remarkable, Tete had never received a national squad call-up at any level.
At 25, Yengi is already a well-travelled professional. He started his career at Newcastle United after coming through the youth ranks in South Australia (like Nestory Irankunda and Mo Touré), before moving to Ipswich Town in England.
He spent three years at the club, but a lot of that was on loan, before he moved north to Scotland.
He played half of the season with Livingston this campaign, before he was loaned to Machida Zelvia in Japan where he helped the club to the final of AFC Asian Champions League.
At almost two metres tall, Yengi offers Popovic something completely different from Touré in attack. And he scored on debut for good measure, in the final warm-up match against Switzerland.