CommBank Socceroos squad named for FIFA World Cup 2026™
The CommBank Socceroos have confirmed their final 26‑player squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, unveiling a bold blend of emerging talent and seasoned international experience. The announcement, made earlier today by Football Australia, includes 17 potential World Cup debutants — a significant generational shift as Australia prepares for its sixth consecutive World Cup appearance.
Head Coach Tony Popovic has opted for a squad that balances youthful energy with veteran leadership, selecting two uncapped players, Cristian Volpato and Tete Yengi, who are now in line to make their senior international debuts on football’s biggest stage.
A New Era Meets Familiar Faces
While the squad features a wave of first‑timers, several stalwarts are set to reach historic milestones.
- Mat Ryan and Mathew Leckie are poised to join Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan as the only Australians ever selected for four FIFA World Cups.
- Aziz Behich, Milos Degenek, and Jackson Irvine are on track for their third tournament appearance.
- Cameron Devlin, Ajdin Hrustic, Awer Mabil, and Harry Souttar return for their second World Cup campaign.
Popovic acknowledged the difficult decisions behind the final selection, praising the efforts of all players involved in the extended pre‑camp and recognizing those who contributed to qualification but missed the final cut.
Australian-Based Talent Represented
Five A‑League Men players have earned selection:
- Patrick Beach (Melbourne City)
- Aziz Behich (Melbourne City)
- Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City)
- Paul Okon‑Engstler (Sydney FC)
- Nishan Velupillay (Melbourne Victory)
Their inclusion highlights the continued importance of domestic pathways in shaping the national team’s future.
Full 26‑Player Squad
A complete list of players, clubs, caps, and junior clubs is provided in the official announcement, featuring representatives from leagues across Australia, Europe, Asia, and the United States .
World Cup Fixtures Locked In
Australia will compete in Group D, facing Türkiye, the USA, and Paraguay across three major North American venues.
Group Stage Matches
- Australia vs Türkiye June 13 – BC Place, Vancouver Kick-off: 9:00pm local / 2:00am AEST (June 14)
- USA vs Australia June 19 – Seattle Stadium, Seattle Kick-off: 12:00pm local / 5:00am AEST (June 20)
- Paraguay vs Australia June 25 – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara Kick-off: 7:00pm local / 12:00pm AEST (June 26)
Before the tournament begins, the Socceroos will fine‑tune preparations with a friendly against Switzerland on June 6 in San Diego .
Popovic: “Our focus now shifts to preparation”
Speaking ahead of the team’s departure, Popovic emphasised the importance of the coming days as Australia finalises its tactical and physical readiness for the tournament.
“We are delighted to finally announce the 26 players who will represent the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup 2026™… Our focus now shifts to finalising our preparations for the upcoming friendly against Switzerland and for our World Cup group matches.” — Tony Popovic
Quotes attributable to CommBank Socceroos Head Coach Tony Popovic:
“We are delighted to finally announce the 26 players who will represent the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
“A range of factors has gone into selecting this final World Cup squad. Some difficult decisions had to be made – that’s the nature of major tournaments. But it’s also a credit to all the players involved over the past few weeks who worked extremely hard during an extended and challenging pre-camp.
“I’d like to acknowledge the players who contributed to our direct World Cup qualification but are not part of this squad. Their contribution should not be forgotten.
“Our focus now shifts to finalising our preparations for the upcoming friendly against Switzerland and for our World Cup group matches.”
CommBank Socceroos Head Coach Tony Popovic will be available to speak to the media later today in Berkeley at 6:15pm PDT (11.15am AEST, tomorrow).
COMMBANK SOCCEROOS SQUAD l FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™
| Name | Current Club, Country |
‘A’ Caps (Goals) |
Junior Club (Member Federation/Country) |
|
Patrick BEACH |
Melbourne City, Australia |
1 (0) |
Mt Druitt Rangers / Football NSW |
|
Aziz BEHICH |
Melbourne City, Australia |
83 (3) |
Meadow Park SC / Football VIC |
|
Jordan BOS |
Feyenoord, Netherlands |
26 (4) |
Hoppers Crossing SC / Football VIC |
|
Cameron BURGESS |
Swansea City, Wales |
26 (0) |
ECU Joondalup / Football West |
|
Alessandro CIRCATI |
Parma Calcio 1913, Italy |
12 (1) |
Perth SC / Football West
|
|
Milos DEGENEK |
Apoel FC, Cyprus |
56 (1) |
Blacktown City FC / Football NSW |
|
Cameron DEVLIN |
Hearts, Scotland |
4 (0) |
Sutherland Sharks / Football NSW |
|
Jason GERIA |
Albirex Niigata, Japan |
13 (0) |
Weston Molonglo Football Club / Capital Football |
|
Lucas HERRINGTON |
Colorado Rapids, USA |
3 (0) |
Toowong FC / Football QLD |
|
Ajdin HRUSTIC |
Heracles Almelo, Netherlands |
37 (4) |
Heatherton United SC / Football VIC |
|
Nestory IRANKUNDA |
Watford, England |
14 (5) |
Adelaide Croatia Raiders / Football SA
|
|
Jackson IRVINE |
St Pauli, Germany |
81 (14) |
Ringwood City / Football VIC |
|
Jacob ITALIANO |
Grazer AK, Austria |
4 (0) |
Inglewood United / Football West |
|
Paul IZZO |
Randers FC, Denmark |
4 (0) |
Campbelltown City SC / Football SA |
|
Mathew LECKIE |
Melbourne City, Australia |
80 (14) |
Brimbank Stallions / Football VIC |
|
Awer MABIL |
CD Castellón, Spain |
38 (10) |
Playford City / Football SA |
|
Connor METCALFE |
St Pauli FC, Germany |
35 (1) |
South Cardiff FC / Northern NSW Football |
|
Aiden O’NEILL |
New York City, USA |
30 (0) |
University of Queensland Football Club / Football QLD |
|
Paul OKON‑ENGSTLER |
Sydney FC, Australia |
5 (0) |
Marconi Stallions / Football NSW |
|
Mathew RYAN |
Levante UD, Spain |
104 (0) |
Blacktown City / Football NSW |
|
Harry SOUTTAR |
Leicester City, England |
37 (11) |
Brechin City Boys Club, Scotland |
|
Mohamed TOURE |
Norwich City, England |
9 (2) |
Croydon Kings / Football SA |
|
Kai TREWIN |
New York City, USA |
5 (0) |
Gungahlin United / Football ACT |
|
Nishan VELUPILLAY |
Melbourne Victory, Australia |
7 (3) |
Dandenong City / Football VIC |
|
Cristian VOLPATO |
Sassuolo, Italy |
0 |
Sydney United 58 / Football NSW |
|
Tete YENGI |
Machida Zelvia, Japan |
0 |
Croydon Kings / Football SA |
The CommBank Socceroos next face Switzerland at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on June 6 (June 7, AEST).
KEY DATES
June 6: Friendly – Switzerland v Australia, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
June 13: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Group D – Australia v Türkiye, BC Place, Vancouver
June 19: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Group D – USA v Australia, Seattle Stadium, Seattle
June 25: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Group D – Paraguay v Australia, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara
MATCH DETAILS
Australia v Türkiye
Date: Saturday, 13 June
Venue: BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Kick-off: 9:00pm local / 2:00pm AEST (Sunday, 14 June)
Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand
USA v Australia
Date: Friday, 19 June
Venue: Seattle Stadium, Seattle, USA
Kick-off: 12:00pm local / 5:00am AEST (Saturday, 20 June)
Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand
Paraguay v Australia
Date: Thursday, 25 June
Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
Kick-off: 7:00pm local / 12:00pm AEST (Friday, 26 June)
Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand
Ozsports Radio will deliver full tournament coverage, including match previews, live updates, expert analysis, and interviews with Australian football voices throughout the World Cup.
Stay tuned as the Socceroos embark on another chapter in their proud World Cup history.