Socceroos midfielder Patrick Yazbek set for immediate return to club duty with Nashville

Patrick Yazbek has praised the quality of the Major League Soccer competition after helping Australia qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

The “business as usual” attitude that helped Patrick Yazbek play an important role for the Socceroos in their wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia will again apply on Sunday when the former Sydney FC midfielder returns to duty for his American club Nashville.

While most of the Socceroos squad that sealed FIFA World Cup qualification with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Wednesday morning (AEST) are now taking a break ahead of their 2025-26 campaigns, it’s not the case for 23-year-old Yazbek.

With the Major Soccer League season running from March to November, Yazbek and his Socceroos teammates Aiden O’Neill (New York City) and Kye Rowles (DC United) have immediate club duties to tend to.

“I have a game this week, so it’s business as usual for me,” Yazbek said ahead of Nashville’s away clash with Chicago Fire on Sunday morning.

Socceroos midfielder Patrick Yazbek (left) battles for the ball with Japan’s Ohashi Yuki. Picture: AP Photo/Trevor Collens

However, despite needing to put 2026 World Cup qualification celebrations on hold, Yazbek likes the thought of getting back to work to further his case for ongoing Socceroos selection.

It was a similar attitude that resulted in him being chosen in this month’s Socceroos squad after being overlooked for March’s wins over Indonesia and China.

“That was my mentality before this camp – play well at my club and hopefully I’ll be selected,” he said.

“I had a good month for Nashville in May, and that allowed me to be involved in this camp.

“That’s the approach going into the next year’s World Cup – play consistent, play well, and if I get called in, really make an impression like I think I did in this camp.”

Yazbek definitely impressed. He added significant energy to Australia after coming on at the start of the second half in the Socceroos’ 1-0 win over Japan last Thursday night in Perth.

The performance secured him his maiden Socceroos starting berth a few days later against Saudi Arabia.

“Being able to start, I felt comfortable … it was an honour,” Yazbek said.

“It’s such a competitive environment and such a competitive position too (midfield).

“I had to just draw back on what got me in the squad in the first place – playing consistently and playing well for my club.”

Patrick Yazbek (right) celebrates with his Socceroos teammate Adam Taggart. Picture: James Worsfold/Getty Images

Yazbek, who joined Nashville in July last year from Norwegian outfit Viking, said the quality of the MLS competition should not be underestimated.

“It’s a really good place to play, and it’s only getting better,” he said.

“There’s so much money floating throughout the league to attract players and bring good young players in. It’s not that ‘old league’ that it had previously been seen as.

“The facilities, the stadiums, the scheduling and the travelling – it’s world class, We have a lot of luxuries that you wouldn’t get anywhere else in the world.

“The quality’s constantly going up, there are plenty of games and I’m excited to see what the next few years have in store.”