World Cup Qualification Thread for 2026 - Socceroos/Asia

[Keeper66]

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is set to award hosting rights for the two AFC play-off groups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Wow, that's a shock

 

[Cunningstunt]

The problem in that is if the results are fine then there is no problem, but if results don’t go he’s way then it can back fire on the coach.

Also coaches come and go, that’s why you have a TD as Huddo says you need someone looking at the broader picture.
I also don’t think a coach should doing everything especially trying to convince duel nationals you need someone to talking to these players in the best interests of the FA and national team.

The main job for the coach is to get results and that’s it mostly judged on, I’m curious are you a fan of Popa as a coach? It’s fine if you showing some bias lol.

I was a Wanderers supporter but am now more of a fan as I haven't been a member since 2017 or so. So I might be bias. Popa is not my preferred type of coach, given a choice I would go for a Bielsa/Ange type. Of the realistic options to replace Arnold, I would have preferred Muscat. I hope I am judging him on what he has done.

The Bahrain result was probably the only hiccup so far. Maybe you could argue the Saudi draw at home, even though on balance of chances we deserved to win that match. I agree a TD is a good idea, but I don't think you could level criticism at Popa that a TD might change. He is rejuvenating the squad and there has been a lot of opportunity for young players who could play for us for the next 10 years. Maybe playing style? But that isn't what most of the hysterical screeching has been about.

The duel nationals thing I think is now being handled as it should be. Behind closed doors. Chasing players is a bad move. When someone deserves it you offer them the opportunity, if they have concerns about their career progression you chat to them about it. That's it. If someone is slighted because they didn't get minutes so they want to play elsewhere, go for it. You need self-respect so people respect the shirt. Volpato publicly declining a world cup place was a disaster, it should have just been he is not available for selection for Australia, that is it, move on.

 

[Barca4life]

I was a Wanderers supporter but am now more of a fan as I haven't been a member since 2017 or so. So I might be bias. Popa is not my preferred type of coach, given a choice I would go for a Bielsa/Ange type. Of the realistic options to replace Arnold, I would have preferred Muscat. I hope I am judging him on what he has done.

The Bahrain result was probably the only hiccup so far. Maybe you could argue the Saudi draw at home, even though on balance of chances we deserved to win that match. I agree a TD is a good idea, but I don't think you could level criticism at Popa that a TD might change. He is rejuvenating the squad and there has been a lot of opportunity for young players who could play for us for the next 10 years. Maybe playing style? But that isn't what most of the hysterical screeching has been about.

The duel nationals thing I think is now being handled as it should be. Behind closed doors. Chasing players is a bad move. When someone deserves it you offer them the opportunity, if they have concerns about their career progression you chat to them about it. That's it. If someone is slighted because they didn't get minutes so they want to play elsewhere, go for it. You need self-respect so people respect the shirt. Volpato publicly declining a world cup place was a disaster, it should have just been he is not available for selection for Australia, that is it, move on.

Fair response mate, you make some good points here.

 

[verrelli]

Wow, that's a shock

Do we even know if this was even an open process and if other countries had the ability to or actually did submit a request to be host?

 

[JS96]

Do we even know if this was even an open process and if other countries had the ability to or actually did submit a request to be host?

Info is murky but the posts are mostly from ASEAN pages

BREAKING

According to several sources from the Middle East, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is set to award hosting rights for the two AFC play-off groups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The matches are expected to take place on October 8, 11, and 14, 2025.

Saudi Arabia will host one group if the Green Falcons fail to qualify directly for the World Cup.

Qatar, already eliminated from direct qualification, is confirmed to host one of the play-off groups.

#AFC

 

[JS96]

So if Saudi qualify directly maybe Australia could host their group?

The Gulf hub does make some sense but it's always them getting things in their backyard. Indonesian rightly annoyed. Why not meet in neutral Singapore or Malaysia? South Korea and Japan have excellent facilities.

 

[jas88]

We all watched the U20s with Okon-Egstler we know he got the talent and there's not many aussies who have had the skillset to be able to play as a sole 6. Even Mooy didn't quit have the pace that Paul has. Would really love to see him with Triantis both can dribble up field and get us on the front foot something we haven't had for a very long time.

The question I have is why are clubs not circling him? Normally young talent gets snapped up quickly... and at 20. He needs to start playing professionally if he wants to reach that potential. He will not develop here in the a-league.

 

[patjennings]

We all watched the U20s with Okon-Egstler we know he got the talent and there's not many aussies who have had the skillset to be able to play as a sole 6. Even Mooy didn't quit have the pace that Paul has. Would really love to see him with Triantis both can dribble up field and get us on the front foot something we haven't had for a very long time.

The question I have is why are clubs not circling him? Normally young talent gets snapped up quickly... and at 20. He needs to start playing professionally if he wants to reach that potential. He will not develop here in the a-league.

NAC Breda call Balard the Aussie Kante.

 

[JS96]

We all watched the U20s with Okon-Egstler we know he got the talent and there's not many aussies who have had the skillset to be able to play as a sole 6. Even Mooy didn't quit have the pace that Paul has. Would really love to see him with Triantis both can dribble up field and get us on the front foot something we haven't had for a very long time.

The question I have is why are clubs not circling him? Normally young talent gets snapped up quickly... and at 20. He needs to start playing professionally if he wants to reach that potential. He will not develop here in the a-league.

This is what bugs me about the big club youth or reserve experience. It's a decent apprenticeship in a theoretical sense but they hardly play. For me they need to get into A League teams at 18 or go somewhere else in Europe to try minutes. These clubs hoard. Add the Australian tag and the abundance of other talent and it's very hard to begin with.

Okon's CV is tarnished in that other clubs may asked why he's hardly played. Many professionals have a big club on their CV where they were simply a number.

 

[Quicky]

I was a Wanderers supporter but am now more of a fan as I haven't been a member since 2017 or so. So I might be bias. Popa is not my preferred type of coach, given a choice I would go for a Bielsa/Ange type. Of the realistic options to replace Arnold, I would have preferred Muscat. I hope I am judging him on what he has done.

The Bahrain result was probably the only hiccup so far. Maybe you could argue the Saudi draw at home, even though on balance of chances we deserved to win that match. I agree a TD is a good idea, but I don't think you could level criticism at Popa that a TD might change. He is rejuvenating the squad and there has been a lot of opportunity for young players who could play for us for the next 10 years. Maybe playing style? But that isn't what most of the hysterical screeching has been about.

The duel nationals thing I think is now being handled as it should be. Behind closed doors. Chasing players is a bad move. When someone deserves it you offer them the opportunity, if they have concerns about their career progression you chat to them about it. That's it. If someone is slighted because they didn't get minutes so they want to play elsewhere, go for it. You need self-respect so people respect the shirt. Volpato publicly declining a world cup place was a disaster, it should have just been he is not available for selection for Australia, that is it, move on.

I hope Popovic qualifies us then Muscat takes over. Muscats teams are always tight nit. I reckon we'd get a better balance between attack and defence and he'd bring the team including the outcasts together.

 

[huddo]

Sure, but I think he is objectively doing the things you say you want, probably more than any other recent Socceroos manager save Ange. You just don't like the guys he picks. This isn't the same.

I don't know if you are old enough to remember what it was like under Verbeek and Osieck but there was almost no regeneration of the squad over those eight years. The 2014 world cup ended up being tournament for blooding almost an entire squad as the GG had been clung onto up until the two 6-0 friendly defeats. Popa has brought in Teague, Velupillay, Matthews, Gauci as young guys who have started WCQ with Trewin, Stamatelopolous, Bos, Toure, Balard, Triantis, Okon being in the squads. Plus the older guys who had previously been overlooked getting an opportunity, Geria, Grant, Izzo etc and all the guys who had exposure at the training camp Milanovic, Esposito.

This is against the backdrop of every match requiring a result. This is not a Gustavson, Verbeek or Osieck situation. You would not have seen a single debutante under any of these managers.

Your right I don't like the guys picks or his style. He weights players he's worked with way to heavily, and the ultra-defensive low-blocks he employs frustrates the shit out of me.

I also didn't like Osieck and Verbeeks styles and agree their lack of regeneration didn't assist the NT.

Of the players you have mentioned Gauci, Toure, Izzo and Stama were introduced to the squad by Arnie. Grant and Geria the ebb of his career, Triantis and Balard haven't showed despite being arguably our two best prospects. The only players with consist time on the pitch have been MV players

His management of youth in matches is also poor. In three of Popa's matches he's gotten a 2 goal lead. After he did he introduced in to the game, Goodwin x2, Degenek, Karacic x2, Arzani x 2, Borello, O'Neill, and Duke.

The only player I can see apart from the MV players that has gotten any substantial game time is Matthews, they threw him to the wolves in how he was blooded.

Okon is the cherry on top of all this.

 

[huddo]

I was a Wanderers supporter but am now more of a fan as I haven't been a member since 2017 or so. So I might be bias. Popa is not my preferred type of coach, given a choice I would go for a Bielsa/Ange type. Of the realistic options to replace Arnold, I would have preferred Muscat. I hope I am judging him on what he has done.

The Bahrain result was probably the only hiccup so far. Maybe you could argue the Saudi draw at home, even though on balance of chances we deserved to win that match. I agree a TD is a good idea, but I don't think you could level criticism at Popa that a TD might change. He is rejuvenating the squad and there has been a lot of opportunity for young players who could play for us for the next 10 years. Maybe playing style? But that isn't what most of the hysterical screeching has been about.

The duel nationals thing I think is now being handled as it should be. Behind closed doors. Chasing players is a bad move. When someone deserves it you offer them the opportunity, if they have concerns about their career progression you chat to them about it. That's it. If someone is slighted because they didn't get minutes so they want to play elsewhere, go for it. You need self-respect so people respect the shirt. Volpato publicly declining a world cup place was a disaster, it should have just been he is not available for selection for Australia, that is it, move on.

He isn't rejuvenating the squad he's giving time to his boys at a cost to rejuvenating the squad.

Granted Popa's results have been good, but there have been major issues in every game. Even in the Indonesia 5-1, the Indonesians had the 2 best chances before we scored. We were only saved by Ryan.

 

[LFC]

huddo, I like your rage on this......
TBH its a shame and not the Japs will miss quite a few of their regular starters but I expect the bench warmers and fringe players will no doubt give us a proper run for our money despite also being a away leg.
This will really test Poppa's approach compared to all the other games for all to see.
Put aside the following game this at home is a must win imo ( hooray safe in pretty much ) - we will know soon enough and the post game posts here will be on fire.

You'd think its our time beating them after 16yrs.
They've rested for the final two matchdays with seven first-time call-ups, and key names like Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Ko Itakura (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord) and Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP) missing.

Australia hasn’t beaten Japan in 16 years - a 2-1 victory during the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. There have been four 1-1 draws, plus five Japan wins, since that night at the MCG.

 

[grazorblade]

This is my best guess about why players get hate (also known as why I have irrationally hated on players) in no particular order.

1. Talent; particularly someone who has made it due to talents which are less obvious (ie glamour talents), off the ball runs, work rate, combination with teammates etc. Generally players who have made it through hard work getting the most out of every scrap of ability. Duke and Miller are the obvious current examples, I used to yell all sorts of abuse about Brett Holman for his first touch. The inverse is also true, so guys like Hrustic and Irankunda (Nick Carle was an earlier version) get a pass for gaping holes in their development because the glamour talents are their strengths.
2. Age; 'what's the point if he is never going to the next world cup'. Leckie is there now, Lucas Neill got to this point. Anyone over 30 is a candidate.
3. Lack of playing time; this generally applies to more talented guys who are selected because they are just better than the alternatives who are playing. Matt Ryan has had this at a few points, Robbie Kruse when he first moved to Germany was a favourite.
4. Strikers; I think they are at particular risk of this. Goal scoring is the most important thing but also hard. We haven't had a standout since Viduka then Cahill. Guys with less ability will always have barren patches and people will want them out even if they bring a lot of other things to the table. 'They're in the team to score goals'. Maclaren, Taggart and Duke each bring different qualities but at international level are not good enough to regularly goal score, hence we have bounced between them. Scott Mcdonald was an earlier version of this.
5. Incumbent burden; over the duration the guys who play a lot will have bad games, bad runs or the team will be losing. These will stick in the mind because everyone watches. The guy trying to get into the team doesn't have this, people might only see his Aleague form where he plays for a winning side, or read that he is playing every week in Europe with no idea about his form. If you have multiple guys of similar ability they can rotate through, have a bad game get dropped, do their time playing well for their club, get brought back in when they have done their time but are still essentially the same player. We have this with strikers and right back. Strain is the current push, he will probably come in, have a bad game and maybe Atkinson will be back up after he has 'played well for City'.
6. 'Blocking' the inclusion of a young player with 'potential'. Fans love potential, what a player could become has almost no limits (read Moneyball for the best description of this). Behich with Bos, now maybe Gersbach (for some reason), Boyle (or anyone really) with Irankunda, Duke with anyone else, Lucas Neill with every defender in Aus at the time.
7. No value on experience. FM/FIFA effect. You just pick the best guy, give the team the most stats and they win the match. The 75 caps don't increase his pace so aren't worth anything. If you pick a 'dream' socceroos side and it has less then 100 caps total. If you're playing against Saudi for a WC place in front of 100,000 screaming men, you want someone who has done this before.
8. Punchable face - The Robbie Kruse rule. People hated him for no reason. Watching his early Aleague games, blokes cut him in half every match. There were a couple of season in Germany where he was the most fouled player in Europe.

There might be other reasons I haven't thought of. I think Behich ticks 1,2,5,6,7 (maybe 8?). Justified for a lot of hate. If he were also a striker who wasn't getting game time we could get him arrested.

good quote

Metcalf is a victim of 1

 

[jas88]

For me they need to get into A League teams at 18 or go somewhere else in Europe to try minutes. These clubs hoard. Add the Australian tag and the abundance of other talent and it's very hard to begin with.

100% our best prospects should be breaking through 17/18 then 2-3 seasons(at least a season consistently starting) and go to Europe 20/21 so that they get there with some professional experience. This is beginning to happen in the last few years. Nestory has been a great example stay at Bayern with 2nd team but then look to play professionally week in week out at a place that will play you. Compared to Garang who has been given poor advice. I would not be surprised if Bayern had a condition that he play at least 15-20 games. OR start a certain amount I don't think Garang is getting that sort of loan he's just coming in as another body or squad player.

 

[grazorblade]

This guy will be playing state 2 and people will still be acting like he’s the next big thing

Not having a go, but he’s done nothing ever.

Not a chance in hell we should welcome him with open arms unless he goes out and does something and earns his right, or shows 100% for his country.

on club achievements he would be the 6th best in the roos starting xi, would be the only of the dual nationals that lifts our floor straight away.
On talent he probably is 2nd best of the dual nationals after circati

Goal contribution every 70 minutes in the top seri b club this season after playing 25 games in all comps last season. Probably on track to be a similar level to bresciano or perhaps a touch higher in my opinion.

 

[LFC]

on club achievements he would be the 6th best in the roos starting xi, would be the only of the dual nationals that lifts our floor straight away.
On talent he probably is 2nd best of the dual nationals after circati

Goal contribution every 70 minutes in the top seri b club this season after playing 25 games in all comps last season. Probably on track to be a similar level to bresciano or perhaps a touch higher in my opinion.

Yep backs my post before about him.
Don’t care what people say here oh fuck him he’s a friggin prospect that is worth persisting with till there’s no hope.

 

[Cunningstunt]

He isn't rejuvenating the squad he's giving time to his boys at a cost to rejuvenating the squad.

Granted Popa's results have been good, but there have been major issues in every game. Even in the Indonesia 5-1, the Indonesians had the 2 best chances before we scored. We were only saved by Ryan.

You are correct about Arnold bringing in some of those guys. My memory of the squads is not 100%. This is Toure's first competitive squad and while Gauci had started in the previous round, it is fair to say being selected over Ryan for China, Japan and SA was much higher stakes.

I don't get why it matters if players played for him. Performance matters. Villupillay has been great. Teague came in and was great. Hopefully two guys who can go onto start for the next two world cup cycles. This is by definition rejuvenation. Matthews got unlucky with injury, I don't get the thrown to the wolves comment, that is what international football is.

 

[HappyGuus]

Kasey Bos?? That's a bizarre selection. He's not much chop as a defender.

 

[huddo]

You are correct about Arnold bringing in some of those guys. My memory of the squads is not 100%. This is Toure's first competitive squad and while Gauci had started in the previous round, it is fair to say being selected over Ryan for China, Japan and SA was much higher stakes.

I don't get why it matters if players played for him. Performance matters. Villupillay has been great. Teague came in and was great. Hopefully two guys who can go onto start for the next two world cup cycles. This is by definition rejuvenation. Matthews got unlucky with injury, I don't get the thrown to the wolves comment, that is what international football is.

My point about Matthews is, the kid got introduced with 90 minutes against Bahrain, away as a debut in a team that revolves around defence. He wasn't even in the matchday squad 6 days earlier. That's not how you blood youth.

My issue isn't with the players themselves, it's with the selection process, we are seeing players get favoured for no other reason than that they have affiliations with the coaches. How are potentially better players meant to demonstrate they are better? Training Camps, that's just ridiculous.

Teague is yet to be tested, against Japan and SA I'll make my mind up about the bloke. Vellupiley, admittedly I've been pleasantly surprised.