Australian soccer team arrives home at Tullamarine after World Cup

The Socceroos won’t be winning the World Cup, but they have won the hearts of the nation as some of the squad return home to a hero’s welcome.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 05: Marco Tilio, Thomas Deng and Jamie Maclaren of the Socceroos after arriving at Melbourne Airport. Pics: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

The sky is the limit for the Socceroos, a member of the squad says, after their World Cup exploits united a nation.

Jamie Maclaren, Thomas Deng and Marco Tilio were given a hero’s welcome at Melbourne Airport after they returned home from the Qatar World Cup.

Fans packed the terminal to see the Socceroos trio arrive, with goalscorer and Melbourne City attacker Mathew Leckie expected to arrive back in Melbourne on Tuesday evening.

Fresh off making the knockout stages for the first time since 2006, squad member Marco Tilio said anything was possible at the next World Cup.

“I think the sky is the limit for anything, I think we’d love to go to the final of the World Cup one day,” he said.

“I think for us as a team, we can keep building from this experience and hopefully next World Cup we can go further.”

Australia’s run to the final was ended by Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Sunday after securing two wins over Denmark and Tunisia.

Those performances saw packed scenes at Federation Square, AAMI Park and fan zones across the country.

Maclaren hoped their achievements would inspire the next wave of Socceroos’ fans.

“It’s a great feeling to know we had such an impact,” he said.

“It’s been the best finish that the Socceroos have had at a World Cup, now that is the standard for the younger generation coming through to drive and really uphold those standards.”