2026 Socceroos: how this picture will change

1 year ago 65

Australia volition nary uncertainty person travel distant from the 2022 World Cup feeling overmuch amended astir the authorities of affairs than beforehand - but however volition the squad turn successful the future?

The Asian Cup is acceptable to beryllium hosted either successful precocious 2023 oregon aboriginal 2024 successful Qatar, truthful changes from what we conscionable saw won't beryllium excessively stark - but the 2026 World Cup volition apt spot plentifulness of change.

Of course, agelong scope predictions for aboriginal teams are fraught with danger, but there's bound to beryllium plentifulness of turnover betwixt present and the World Cup successful North America and there's plentifulness to beryllium affirmative about.

AS IT HAPPENED: FIFA World Cup, time 17

Goalkeeper: Mat Ryan volition lone beryllium 34 erstwhile the adjacent tourney comes around, and arsenic the skipper and incumbent is successful rod presumption to inactive beryllium Australia's No.1.

Among the different contenders, Adelaide United's Joe Gauci is being wide touted arsenic the adjacent large keeper successful the agelong database of Australian No.1's, portion Olympian Tom Glover has 2 coagulated years arsenic Melbourne City's fig 1 nether his belt.

Defenders: The lone 3 defenders of the 2022 harvest who'll beryllium implicit 30 erstwhile the adjacent tourney rolls astir are; Milos Degenek, Bailey Wright, and Aziz Behich. The second had a standout tourney but volition beryllium 34, paving the mode for either Joel King, who was successful the Qatar squad but didn't play, oregon possibly Jordan Bos, to instrumentality that near backmost spot.

Bos only conscionable turned 20 and has already established himself arsenic an A-League mainstay.

Both Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles volition beryllium successful their premier for 2026, but the existent question people is the planetary allegiance of Alessandro Circati. The 19-year-old was calved successful Italy but raised successful Perth, and is presently playing for Parma successful Serie B. Thomas Deng volition inactive beryllium successful the representation arsenic well.

Right backmost is looking similar a amazingly heavy presumption with Nathaniel Atkinson conscionable 23 close present and starting for Hearts, portion erstwhile Glory close backmost Josh Rawlins precocious moved to the Dutch Eredivisie, and ex-Mariner Lewis Miller to Scotland.

Midfielders: Aaron Mooy volition beryllium 35 and Jackson Irvine 33 truthful it's improbable that they'll beryllium cardinal men going guardant - but Keanu Baccus was 1 of the breakout stars for Australia successful this World Cup and has impressed since signing for St Mirren, portion Ajdin Hrustic volition beryllium bare to play a acold bigger relation successful the adjacent World Cup than helium was capable to successful Qatar.

Riley McGree is continuing to amended successful the Championship successful England and had a coagulated World Cup, and though Cameron Devlin didn't log immoderate minutes astatine the World Cup helium was portion of the squad. Then there's the likes of Tyrese Francois, Connor Metcalfe, Denis Genreau and of course, Roma's Cristian Volpato, who whitethorn yet elite to correspond the Socceroos.

Cameron Peupion is connected the books astatine Premier League broadside Brighton and Hove Albion aft coming done Sydney FC's academy, and different ex-Sky Blue, Calem Nieuwenhof, who crossed the Sydney disagreement to the Wanderers this past off-season, has been fantabulous truthful acold successful reddish and black.

Forwards: Garang Kuol is the brightest endowment successful Australian shot successful caller years, and older member Alou, presently successful Germany, is apt to person a larger imprint connected the nationalist squad successful the future.

There's plentifulness of different intriguing storylines - from 16-year-old Nestory Irankunda who is already getting regular A-League football, to whether oregon not Daniel Arzani tin marque a instrumentality to the apical level if helium keeps his caput down.

Marco Tilio is highly talented and apt to beryllium a portion of plentifulness of aboriginal Socceroos plans, portion Awer Mabil is different who you'd expect volition spell astir again.

Jamie Maclaren volition beryllium 32 and Mat Leckie 35, which astir apt rules the second retired - portion the Scottish calved brace of Jason Cummings and Martin Boyle volition beryllium 30 and 33, respectively.

Manager: Who knows? Graham Arnold has repeatedly said helium needs a break, but Football Australia brag James Johnson gave the strongest denotation to day that Arnold would beryllium sticking around.

"My feeling is Graham would similar to enactment on," Johnson said connected ABC Radio.

"We're not talking to immoderate different candidates astatine the moment. Once we've finished the reappraisal we'll speech to Graham and hopefully we tin reason an agreement."

If helium were to go, plentifulness person been calling for Kevin Muscat, who conscionable won the J-League title, to beryllium fixed a accidental - portion Patrick Kisnorbo, who conscionable landed a occupation successful France's apical formation could beryllium different option.

Then there's Ange Postecoglou - but a reunion would beryllium improbable for some sides.

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