Tony Popovic has named Australia’s final 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup, locking in the group that will carry the Socceroos into the tournament and cutting four players from the 30-man camp.
The headline selection is Cristian Volpato, who is 22 and made the squad just days after pledging his allegiance to Australia. Tete Yengi also earned a place after receiving his first national squad call-up only a week ago, completing a list that now leaves Australia with 17 players heading to a World Cup for the first time.
Popovic said the decisions were shaped by several factors and acknowledged the difficulty of trimming the group after an extended pre-camp in Florida and California. He also noted that the players who helped Australia qualify directly should not be forgotten, a nod to the sweep of changes that comes with final selection at this stage of preparation.
The biggest omission was Martin Boyle, who was in the match-day squad against Mexico but still did not make the final cut. The 33-year-old winger has scored ten goals in 41 appearances for the Socceroos and had been expected to be part of the World Cup picture, especially after missing the last tournament through injury. Brandon Borello, Joe Gauci and Kye Rowles were also left out, while Middlesbrough midfielder Riley McGree had already been ruled out last month with a hamstring injury.
That left Popovic with a squad that blends first-timers and experience. Mat Ryan will go to his fourth World Cup, as will Mathew Leckie, while Aziz Behich, Milos Degenek and Jackson Irvine were selected for a third. Cameron Devlin, Ajdin Hrustic, Awer Mabil and Harry Souttar are back from the group that reached the Round of 16 in Qatar, giving Australia a familiar core around a much newer cast.
The final list comes a day after Australia’s 1-0 friendly loss to Mexico, a reminder that the World Cup picture is now fixed and the debate has shifted from who is in to how this group will be used. Popovic said attention now turns to the friendly against Switzerland and the World Cup group matches, but the unresolved question is how much weight he gave to form, fitness and familiarity when the final omissions were made.
