Situated in Pot 2 as the fourth-highest AFC nation – per the latest FIFA Men’s Rankings – going into the draw, Australia will take on some familiar foes as the qualification journey to the FIFA World Cup 2026™, held in Canada Mexico and the United States intensifies.
Graham Arnold’s men were placed in Group C alongside: Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China PR and Indonesia in what is anticipated to be another drama-filled campaign.
Scheduled to be played from September 2024 to June 2025, the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 will feature three groups of six teams playing in a home-and-away, round-robin format, offering direct qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ for the top two finishers of each group.
During the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Round 2, the Socceroos boasted a flawless record, winning all six of their Group I matches against Bangladesh, Palestine and Lebanon, while scoring 22 goals without conceding.
Get a brief overview of each opponent and how they fared in their Round 2 Qualifiers ahead of our first Third Round meeting against Bahrain in September.
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FIFA Ranking: 17
Head Coach: Hajime Moriyasu
Captain: Wataru Endō
Head-to-head record vs Australia: Played 27, 11 wins, 9 draws, 7 losses
Since joining the AFC in 2006, this will be the fifth straight FIFA World Cup™ qualification cycle, where Australia will cross paths with Japan. Moreover, it is the third consecutive occasion in which the Subway Socceroos have met Japan at this stage of qualification. Australia has also not beaten the Japanese since June 2009, when Tim Cahill’s second-half double secured a 2-1 comeback win at the MCG.
The mighty Samurai Blue were impeccable during Round 2 qualifying – collecting maximum points and scored 24 goals as they cruised to the third phase. Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda was impressive with six goals to his name.
FIFA Ranking: 56
Head Coach: Roberto Mancini
Captain: Salman Al-Faraj
Head-to-head record vs Australia: Played 10, 2 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses
Like Japan, this will be third successive time Australia have faced the Green Falcons at this stage. Italian tactician Roberto Mancini has been at the helm since August 2023, with the Saudis leaning on his expertise to guide them to the FIFA World Cup™ Finals. Australia were unable to taste victory in the corresponding fixtures on the Road to Qatar and will be hoping to buck that trend against a well-drilled side.
Saudi Arabia amassed 13 points and surprisingly finished second behind Jordan on goal difference in qualifying, following a shock 2-1 defeat on the final matchday to the Chivalrous Ones.
FIFA Ranking: 81
Head Coach: Dragan Talajić
Captain: Sayed Dhiya Saeed
Head-to-head record vs Australia: Played 6, 0 wins, 0 draws, 6 losses
This will be the first time since the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010™ qualification where Bahrain and Australia will face off. The Aussies have also never lost to the Dilmun Warriors and most recently played them in Abu Dhabi in a friendly match before the AFC Asian Cup 2023™ earlier this year, picking up a 2-0 win.
In Round 2 Qualifying, Bahrain finished second in Group H on 11 points, five adrift of the United Arab Emirates. Their only defeat occurred against the UAE.
FIFA Ranking: 88
Head Coach: Branko Ivanković
Captain: Wang Dalei
Head-to-head record vs Australia: Played 13, 4 wins, 2 draws, 7 losses
Just like Japan and Saudi Arabia, China PR were also in Australia’s group during the 2022 iteration of third round qualifiers. The Socceroos mustered a 3-0 win and then were held to a 1-1 draw against the Dragon Team. The pair also met back in 2008 as part of the FIFA World Cup 2010™ qualification process.
China PR finished equal second with Thailand in their Round 2 Qualifiers, eight points off Korea Republic but possessed a superior head-to-head record against the War Elephants. Croatian Branko Ivanković was appointed head coach in February 2024.
FIFA Ranking: 134
Head Coach: Shin Tae-yong
Captain: Asnawi Mangkualam
Head-to-head record vs Australia: Played 16, 1 wins, 3 draws, 12 losses
Australia and Indonesia will encounter for the first time since the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Round of 16 clash. The Aussies prevailed 4-0 on that afternoon but know it will be far from easy against the Garuda Team, who continue to improve under Korean Republic’s Shin Tae-yong guidance.
The Indonesians concluded the Round 2 Qualifiers in second spot with 10 points, eight off Iraq and are the sixth seed in Group C.
September 2024 FIFA Men’s International Window
MD1: Subway Socceroos v Bahrain – Thursday, 5 September
MD2: Indonesia v Subway Socceroos – Tuesday, 10 September
October 2024 FIFA Men’s International Window
MD3: Subway Socceroos v China PR – Thursday, 10 October
MD4: Japan v Subway Socceroos – Tuesday, 15 October
November 2024 FIFA Men’s International Window
MD5: Subway Socceroos v Saudi Arabia – Thursday, 14 November
MD6: Bahrain v Subway Socceroos – Tuesday, 19 November
March 2025 FIFA Men’s International Window
MD7: Subway Socceroos v Indonesia – Thursday, 20 March
MD8: China PR v Subway Socceroos – Tuesday, 25 March
June 2025 FIFA Men’s International Window
MD9: Subway Socceroos v Japan – Thursday, 5 June
MD10: Saudi Arabia v Subway Socceroos – Tuesday, 10 June
*Venue and kick-off times for all fixtures are still TBC.
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