Everything you need to know about the 2022 World Cup now the Socceroos are going
The Socceroos have booked their spot in the World Cup but they face a huge challenge after being drawn in a so-called “group of death”.
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They’ve done it. The Socceroos are going to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.
The Socceroos defeated Peru 5-4 in a thrilling penalty shootout to book their place in a fifth consecutive World Cup.
Goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne was the hero as he made two saves to send Australia to the World Cup after being sensationally substituted on for skipper Mat Ryan.
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It was a sensational moment that will go down in sporting folklore as fans hailed the result as the most euphoric Socceroos moment since John Aloisi’s penalty against Uruguay in 2005 broke sent Australia to the World Cup for the first time in 32 years.
The Socceroos did it the hard way, but now they’ve qualified for the World Cup, what will they face when they get to Qatar?
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 World Cup and the Socceroos’ campaign.
How did Australia qualify for the World Cup?
The Socceroos had to qualify the hard way after they finished third in Asia Group B behind Saudi Arabia and Japan.
It meant they had to win two sudden death games against the UAE (who finished third in Asia Group A) and then Peru in the interncontinental playoff.
In total, the Socceroos played 20 games in their World Cup qualification period, 16 of which were away from home.
Who will the Socceroos play at the World Cup?
The win over Peru means Australia slots into Group D — and it’s safe to say the Socceroos will have their work cut out for them in another so-called “group of death”, where they join reigning World Cup winners France, Denmark and Tunisia.
France hasn’t been at the same level since lifting the trophy in 2018 but is still ranked third in the world and will be tough to eliminate.
Many pundits predict Denmark (ranked 11th) could make a run deep in the tournament, while Tunisia (ranked 35th) will be also be a difficult opponent.
Fair group. 🤯 https://t.co/3RAnkxJclT
— Erin Delahunty (@della79) June 13, 2022
Assume we’re in the Group of Death?#Socceroos
— Richard Hinds (@rdhinds) June 13, 2022
Australia’s group tho 😱 https://t.co/dwAS5HTRDV
— Max Walden (@maxwalden_) June 13, 2022
France, Denmark and Tunisia absolutely quaking at the thought. https://t.co/2QfYdWJ0xppic.twitter.com/EIyzQPLjZW
— Tyson Whelan (@tyson_whelan) June 13, 2022
The Socceroos were in the same group as France and Denmark in 2018 and were also drawn in a group of death with Spain, Chile and the Netherlands in 2014.
They haven’t won a game at a World Cup since 2010 and haven’t made it out of the group stage since 2006 when they famously suffered a controversial loss to Italy in the round of 16.
Where is the World Cup?
The World Cup will be held in Qatar across November and December. It is being held later in the year than usual because of Qatar’s sweltering summer temperatures.
When is the World Cup on?
The action gets underway on Monday 21 November when the Netherlands take on Senegal. The final will take place in Doha on 19 December.
Australia’s first game is against France on Wednesday 23 November at 6am (AEST).
Socceroos 2022 World Cup group stage games
Australia vs France — Wednesday 23 November 6am AEST
Australia vs Tunisia — Saturday 26 November 9pm AEST
Australia vs Denmark — Thursday 1 December 1am AEST
The clash with Tunisia will likely be the Socceroos’ best shot at victory and will be a must-watch game given the friendly timeslot of 9pm AEST on a Saturday night.
How to watch the World Cup in Australia
Every match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be broadcast exclusively on SBS.
Viewers just need to create a free SBS account to sign in and watch all 64 games of the World Cup.
How to buy tickets for the World Cup
Over 800,000 tickets were sold in FIFA’s first sale period, which ended on March 29.
The second round of ticket sales began on April 5 and was a “random selection draw sales period”.
A third “last minute” sales period is now underway but get in quick — the deadline is set for June 15.
Tickets for the World Cup can be purchased through FIFA’s official website, where fans will need to register for an account on FIFA’s ticket portal and submit an application.
Once you apply, you’ll be notified if you received tickets or not and need to pay for them as soon as possible.
The application period has finished and it’s unclear if it’s still possible to even buy tickets.
Full list of 2022 World Cup groups
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Germany, Japan and Costa Rica or New Zealand*
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, Korea Republic
*The full World Cup draw will be completed on Monday when Costa Rica and New Zealand meet for the the final place still up for grabs.
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