Australia — FIFA World Cup 2026

Group DTony Popovic4-3-3
CalibrSports Strength Rating48 / 100

Will Australia Qualify from Group D?

Advance from Group42%
Reach Quarter-Final13%
Reach Semi-Final4%
Reach the Final1%
Win the World Cup0%

Powered by CalibrSports ML · Pre-tournament analysis

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Key Players for Australia at World Cup 2026

Mathew Leckie
RW

Melbourne City

Tournament hero — scored Australia's famous winner vs Denmark at WC 2022

Riley McGree
CM

Middlesbrough

Technically gifted central midfielder with eye-catching long-range efforts

Ajdin Hrustic
AM

Hellas Verona

Left-footed playmaker; set-piece delivery and long-range threat

Australia World Cup 2026 Squad

27-player squad · provisional, via SportMonks · finalized closer to kickoff

Goalkeepers(3)

Mathew Ryan1Mathew Ryan
Paul Izzo12Paul Izzo
Patrick Beach18Patrick Beach

Defenders(9)

Milos Degenek2Milos DegenekC
Jacob Italiano3Jacob Italiano
Kye Rowles4Kye Rowles
Jordan Bos5Jordan Bos
Aziz Behich16Aziz Behich
Jason Geria19Jason Geria
Cameron Burgess21Cameron Burgess
Alessandro Circati23Alessandro Circati
Lucas Herrington26Lucas Herrington

Midfielders(9)

Connor Metcalfe8Connor Metcalfe
Ajdin Hrustic10Ajdin Hrustic
Aiden O'Neill13Aiden O'Neill
Riley McGree14Riley McGree
Kai Trewin15Kai Trewin
Patrick Yazbek17Patrick Yazbek
Paul Okon-Engstler20Paul Okon-Engstler
Alex Robertson22Alex Robertson
Cristian Volpato–Cristian Volpato

Attackers(6)

Martin Boyle6Martin Boyle
Nestory Irankunda7Nestory Irankunda
Nishan Velupillay9Nishan Velupillay
Awer Mabil11Awer Mabil
Deni Jurić24Deni Jurić
Ante Suto25Ante Suto

Australia Manager & Playing Style

Manager

Tony Popovic

Formation

4-3-3

Direct and physically competitive Socceroos football that presses high through Leckie's tireless running and uses McGree's technical quality to retain possession in midfield.

Australia World Cup History

2022Round of 16
2018Did not qualify
2014Group stage

Australia's Group D Opponents

1USA62 pts
2Türkiye50 pts
3Australia (this team)48 pts
4Paraguay44 pts

WC 2026 Betting Angles for Australia

Australia to Beat Paraguay or Türkiye

The Socceroos are well-matched with both lower-half Group D rivals; a win in their best fixture is +130 and offers genuine expected value.

BTTS Yes — Australia vs Türkiye

Both sides have attacking ambition and porous defences at international level; BTTS Yes at -115 is a strong selection.

Leckie Anytime Scorer

Leckie's tournament pedigree and ability to deliver in knockout moments makes him value at +250 to score at any point in the group stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Australia qualify from the group stage?

CalibrSports ML gives Australia a 42% probability of advancing from Group D, based on squad strength and opponent ratings.

What are Australia's chances of winning WC 2026?

Our model gives Australia a 0% chance of winning the World Cup 2026.

Who is Australia's best player at WC 2026?

Mathew Leckie (RW at Melbourne City) — Tournament hero — scored Australia's famous winner vs Denmark at WC 2022

CalibrSports Verdict on Australia

Australia return to the World Cup under Tony Popovic after missing out in 2018, building on their memorable 2022 run to the last 16. The Socceroos lack the depth of their group rivals but compensate with team spirit and hard-running pressing. CalibrSports gives Australia a 42% chance of advancing from Group D — another upset like 2022 is absolutely within their capability.

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