Why 2026 World Cup looms as Socceroos’ ultimate goal
The challenge for Australia’s next generation is to build on their remarkable progress at the next World Cup. Read why the future is bright for the Socceroos and how they could line up in 2026.
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Australia’s next generation have been challenged to carry on the groundbreaking progress of the 2022 World Cup squad and go even bigger in four years in the USA.
The Socceroos’ magical fortnight in Qatar, which ended with a heartbreaking 2-1 Round of 16 defeat to Argentina, captured the attention of a nation. But the glory years could be just around the corner.
For while ‘Aussie DNA’ and some tactical masterclasses from coach Graham Arnold were the driving force behind the Socceroos’ historic performances in Doha, the truth is that after having picked a squad laden with young talent the best is yet to come.
And it should be on show at the 2026 World Cup, to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, where Australia’s brightest prospects will have the chance to show they can step up another gear and match it with the world’s best.
“There were quite a number of questions around why I picked some of those young boys – but for me the most important thing is doing well at a Word Cup, but also qualifying for the next World Cup (and) leaving a legacy for the young boys and having them coming through is so important,” Arnold said.
“Having kids in with the senior players, those young ones will go home with so much experience of being at a World Cup. They’ll be ready to qualify Australia again.”
The signs are promising.
In 24-year-olds Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles, Australia appears to have found its centre-back pairing for the next decade, as the duo built a formidable partnership at the back which grew enormously as the tournament went on.
Fellow 24-year-old midfielder Keanu Baccus looks born for the international stage, and will be in his prime when the next World Cup rolls around.
“It’s a great feeling, knowing that you’re playing against the best in the world and you can do well,” Baccus said.
“I know what I’ve got to do when I go home, work hard and improve and get better as a player. I want to be playing in these games.
“I definitely know we can go toe-to-toe with these guys as well, so it’s good for us as a country.
“We want that to continue for years to come, the next World Cup, Asian Cup and everything involved in the next few years.”
Then there’s the likes of Ajdin Hrustic (26), Cameron Devlin (24), Nathaniel Atkinson (23) and Riley McGree (24) – all of whom gained invaluable experience in the past month.
And that’s before you even mention the undoubted quality of 18-year-old attacking dynamo Garang Kuol, whose career trajectory has skyrocketed in the past few months alone.
“It’s a culture we’ve cultivated over a long time. It didn’t start in this tournament, it didn’t start with this team,” said Jackson Irvine, who at 29 will also be primed for another World Cup.
“It’s been years in the making with guys like Mile (Jedinak), (Mark Milligan), Timmy (Cahill)… the way they pushed us, the way they showed us what it takes to compete at this level. Those guys were huge influences on myself and I’m sure a lot of the guys who are a similar age to me.
“I hope that the young guys who’ve come in … the mentality they have is just incredible, I really can’t speak highly enough. They’re winners, they’re so strong. What we’ve built here, cultivated over years, I hope we’ll continue and hopefully progress further.”
Qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the 2023 under-20’s World Cup is a must.
This campaign has again re-established the old template that there is a direct correlation between qualifying for those tournaments and success for the Socceroos.
Players who could burst into Socceroos contention for the 2026 World Cup include Tyrese Francois (on loan from Fulham), Jordan Bos (Melbourne City), Alou Kuol (Stuttgart), Lewis Miller (Hibernian) and Mohamed Toure (Reims).
Australia’s outstanding results in Qatar could also provide food for thought for the likes of Italy-based duo Cristian Volpato and Alessandro Circati, who are in the middle of an international tug-of-war for their services.
Volpato, who watched the Socceroos narrow loss to Argentina at the fan park in Sydney’s Darling Harbour, is entrenched in the Italian youth system at under 19’s level. Like Perth-born Circati, his allegiance remains up in the air, unwilling to tie himself to Italy or Australia at this stage.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR GRAHAM ARNOLD?
By Joe Barton
He silenced legions of doubters, achieved the unexpected and produced the Socceroos’ greatest ever World Cup fairytale run.
But will Graham Arnold continue as Australia’s head coach?
Arnold was noncommittal on his future following Australia’s cruel knockout loss to Argentina, while his stars were seemingly in the dark over who would be taking charge moving forward.
By his own declaration, the now off-contract Arnold has helped unite the nation via his team’s unexpected push into the knockout stages of the World Cup – a dream run which ended at the hands of Lionel Messi on Saturday night.
Arnold’s future has been a topic of intense speculation for months, ever since he was spared the axe in March as Australia missed out on automatic World Cup qualification.
But, having survived that push, there can be no more emphatic response than what the maligned coach and his players have provided the past month.
In the wake of the Argentina defeat, Arnold said his first priority was a break – and then he would enter discussions with Football Australia about a new contract.
It’s unclear whether a fresh deal would be enough to entice Arnold to continue on in the top job, or whether a move overseas is in his future.
“I haven’t even thought about it. My contract is up and I just want to go away and have a good holiday and see what happens,” Arnold said.
“I’ve worked extremely hard this campaign … I need a break, a rest, and no doubt I’ll have good discussions with the organisation.”
Certainly he has the support of a playing group that has overachieved by creating history in Qatar, with victories against Tunisia and Denmark.
“Arnie’s been amazing,” said Mat Leckie.
“He’s had some criticism of people probably wanting him to not be the coach. (But) I think he’s proved and showed in this tournament how much he can get out of the team.”
Jackson Irvine, the heartbeat of the Australian midfield and one of the team’s chief leaders, said Arnold deserved considerable credit for the Socceroos’ tournament.
“The dust will settle on everything here and obviously he’s been a huge part of everything we’ve done here and the FA and Arnie will do what’s best for them and make those decisions,” Irvine said.
“But as players we’re happy we got to share those experiences all the way through, there were some bumpy ones along the way.
“I think he earned the right to take us here through this tournament and I think at the end of the day, when all is said and done, whatever happens, he can be proud of the team he built and the tournament we’ve played.”
Mostly, the players appear as in the dark as the public.
“He’s worked with the Olyroos boys and for us older boys, you’d want him to stick around,” said Jamie Maclaren.
“He’s done it tough … So, who knows what his future lies in? It’s really in FA’s hands and if Arnie wants to stick around. “
‘MAKING LAST 16 WASN’T ENOUGH’: INSIDE SOCCEROOS’ PRIDE AND PAIN
Even after watching his brave Socceroos push the world’s greatest player and Argentina to the brink, Australia coach Graham Arnold demanded more.
Arnold lavished praise on his devastated players in the wake of their World Cup exit, care of a 2-1 defeat to Argentina – proud at their historic achievements from the past fortnight.
For a team that few expected to even qualify for the Qatar tournament, let alone create history by becoming the first Socceroos outfit to claim back-to-back wins and reach the Round of 16 for the first time since 2006, Sunday’s result was an outrageous overachievement.
But still, despite a Lionel Messi masterclass and split-second of brilliance, Australia’s exit rankled.
In the minutes after Australia’s shattered players made their way off the field, Arnold dragged them into the dressing room for one final message.
“As I said to the boys before they started doing media and started beating themselves up, I just wanted to say to them how proud I was – and grateful of how many sacrifices and effort they’ve made through this whole campaign to do what they’ve done,” Arnold said.
“Of course they’re extremely disappointed. But it’s not every day you get to play the third best nation in the world, and against those type of players. I felt we did very, very good tonight.”
As ever, Arnold craved something extra. One more win. One more point proven. One more critic made to eat their words.
Having come so close against a powerhouse footballing nation, he couldn’t help but let his mind drift to the moments that turned the match, and whether it could’ve been Australia advancing to a quarter-final showdown with the Netherlands.
“It’s the way I am. Even though we’ve succeeded and been successful, I feel like we’ve failed,” he said.
“I just wanted to win so badly for the nation and the fans. Making the last 16 for me wasn’t enough.
“That’s just me. I know a lot of other people might be happy with it but that’s just the way I am.
“But I’m pretty sure, and I really hope, that Australia is proud of them tonight. They did a fantastic job.”
A stunning strike from Craig Goodwin – later credited as an own goal to Enzo Fernandez – summed up Australia’s never-say-die spirit, but late chances to Aziz Behich and Garang Kuol couldn’t quite send the match to extra-time.
There were the hard-luck stories of the night – Australian players went to bed with the ‘what if’ moments rattling around their heads.
What if Kuol’s injury-time rocket manages to evade the armpit of the Argentinian goalkeeper?
He becomes an instant national hero.
What if Behich, after a weaving run into the Argentine box that was every bit as good as Messi’s earlier in the match, had found the back of the net rather than a desperate defenders legs?
“Had he scored it, it would’ve been Lionel Messi in a yellow shirt – such a great action. Unfortunately he didn’t finish it,” said Arnold.
And what if captain Mat Ryan – dominant throughout Australia’s consecutive cleansheet victories over Tunisia and Denmark – hadn’t got himself into a tangle, allowing Julian Alvarez to slot home the decisive second goal?
“Maty’s been a fantastic captain, fantastic kid, fantastic player. Everyone makes mistakes. You’ve got to learn from it, move forward. And I’m sure he will,” Arnold said.
They’re questions Australia will have to dwell on in the days and weeks to come.
For now, only one thing matters to Australia’s now off-contract coach.
“Before we came here everyone said we were the worst Socceroo team ever to qualify for the World Cup and the worst Socceroo team ever. That’s gone now,” he said.
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