114-453: The Sydney FC Centre Of Excellence colloquially known as Sky Park is the training and administrative headquarters of professional Australian soccer club Sydney FC , located in the sporting precinct of Macquarie University in North Ryde, New South Wales . The club has based its training and academy facilities at Macquarie University since 2007. Sydney FC has been a long-term tenant of
228-406: A 2006 FIFA World Cup position as an OFC member country. After a successful campaign , the team took the first steps towards qualification for the 2006 World Cup. After coach Frank Farina stood down from the position after Australia's dismal performance at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup , Guus Hiddink was announced as the new national coach. Australia, ranked 49th, would then have to play
342-757: A FIFA member through the Australian Soccer Association. Though Australia's membership was soon suspended in 1960 after disobeying FIFA mandate on recruiting foreign players without a transfer fee. In 1961, the Australian Soccer Federation was formed and later admitted to FIFA in 1963, after outstanding fines had been paid. In 1966, Australia became founding members of the Oceania Football Federation (now Oceania Football Confederation ). Pre-1960s, competitive soccer in Australia
456-591: A second-tier professional league ; club licensing framework; domestic transfer system; as well a potential adoption of promotion-relegation system, expected to be implemented by 2022–23. Soccer in Australia is governed by Football Australia (FA) which is currently a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), since leaving the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in 2006. FA
570-531: A 25-year lease, with the construction of the centre of excellence to begin shortly thereafter, with the club choosing to stay at the university over other sites in Moore Park, Tempe , St George and Leichhardt . The construction of the centre of excellence was partially funded by the NSW Government under its Centre of Excellence Grant scheme with the club receiving $ 5 million towards the program. The facility
684-468: A World Cup and it was also the first victory of an Oceania team in the FIFA World Cups, as well as all three goals being scored in the last seven minutes of the game, which was never before done in a World Cup match. Australia met Brazil in their second group game, which Australia lost to Brazil 2–0. Australia faced Croatia in their third match. The final score (2–2) was enough to see Australia proceed to
798-468: A cultural propensity for the use of colloquialisms in the country . It also represents the Australian English use of the sport's name . The name itself is similar to most other Australian national representative sporting team nicknames ; used informally when referring to the team, in the media or in conversation. Similarly, the name is derived from a well-known symbol of Australia, in this case,
912-805: A dedicated national stadium , instead the team plays at different venues throughout the country for exhibition or tournament purposes. In recent years, major international matches have usually been rotated around various large grounds, including Stadium Australia in Sydney, Hunter Stadium in Newcastle and Docklands Stadium in Melbourne. International matches have also been played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne and Canberra Stadium in Canberra. Australia has played at
1026-612: A difficult group lead to believe that a new Golden Generation was about to begin. In their first international match proceeding the FIFA World Cup, Australia played FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists Belgium in Liège , with Australia going down 2–0. Four days later, Australia achieved their first international win in ten months, and just their second win under Ange Postecoglou, with a 3–2 victory over Saudi Arabia in London . After drawing against
1140-429: A draw of 1–1, and their third and final group match against Serbia resulted in a 2–1 win. Ultimately Australia's heavy loss to Germany saw them eliminated in the group stage. Pim Verbeek completed his term as Australian coach at the end of the 2010 World Cup and was soon replaced by Holger Osieck . In 2010, Australia qualified for their second AFC Asian Cup , topping their qualification group . A successful campaign at
1254-402: A feeder team for the national team. In addition there is a beach team , nicknamed the "Beach Socceroos", which represents Australia in international beach soccer and a Paralympic team , nicknamed the "Pararoos", which competes in international Paralympic association football . The participation of Australian women in soccer was first recorded in the early 1920s. It has since become one of
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#17328581290481368-424: A final total attendance of 312,199. Australia men%27s national soccer team The Australia men's national soccer team represents Australia in international men's soccer . Officially nicknamed the Socceroos , the team is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia , Football Australia , which is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and
1482-405: A goal by Mark Bresciano in the first half. The aggregate was tied, and extra time was played. Neither team scored after two periods of extra time, bringing the game to a penalty shootout. Australia won the penalty shootout (4–2), making Australia the first ever team to qualify for a World Cup via a penalty shootout. Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made two saves, with John Aloisi scoring
1596-529: A goal from Tim Cahill that inspired a late resurgence from Postecoglou's team, they ultimately lost to Chile 3–1. Their second match against the Netherlands was a close one, but their efforts ended in a 3–2 loss, thus earning their early exit along with the Spanish team. In the end, Australia finished Group B with a third, consecutive defeat to world champions Spain, 3–0. Australia's competitive World Cup performances in
1710-449: A home friendly match against Costa Rica , Australia won 1–0 courtesy of a goal from Tim Cahill. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup , Australia were drawn in Group B alongside reigning Cup holders Spain , 2010 runners-up Netherlands and Chile . Their first match was off to a lacklustre start, having conceded two goals in the opening 15 minutes from Alexis Sánchez and Jorge Valdivia . Despite
1824-489: A major sport in the country. A distinct rise in popularity in New South Wales and Victoria, among other states, was linked to the post-World War II immigration . Migrant players and supporters were prominent, providing the sport with a new but distinct profile. Soccer served as a cultural gateway for many emigrants, acting as a social lubricant. Soccer transcended cultural and language barriers in communities which bridged
1938-467: A maroon hoop on the socks, the colours representing the states of New South Wales and Queensland, a look that was reminiscent of the Australian national rugby league team 's strips of the period. They wore the predominantly light blue kit until 1924 when they changed to green and gold . Australia has worn a yellow jersey, usually accompanied by green shorts, and yellow socks since the 1960s. The colour of
2052-424: A need for the sport to break away from the baggage left over from previous competitions. However, the move created problems within the wider community, engendering confusion due to the naming conflict with other football codes, and creating conflict with other sporting bodies. Australia ended a 32-year absent streak when the nation team qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup . The team's qualification and success in
2166-436: A plan called " XI Principles for the future of Australian Football ", shortened as Vision 2035 , with the aim to restructure and expand football across the country, with the rebranding of the domestic league, establishment of a national second division, alignment with FIFA Domestic Match Calendar, restart and rebuilding of Australian football products (mainly by fixing the youth football development), reducing costs of football in
2280-503: A representative Victorian team and one from the neighbouring colony of New South Wales . As soccer continued to grow throughout Australia, John Fletcher's New South Wales soccer association gave inspiration to other states to establish their own governing bodies for the sport. In 1884, Victoria formed its own association, the Anglo-Australian Football Association (now Football Victoria ), as did Queensland , in
2394-463: A two-week search for a new manager, Ange Postecoglou was eventually appointed in the position. Postecoglou was tasked with regenerating the Australian national team, which was deemed to have been too reliant on members of their Golden Generation of 2006, subsequently leading to a stagnation of results, culminating in successive 6–0 defeats to Brazil and France. In his first game as Australia's manager,
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#17328581290482508-424: Is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled. Win Draw Loss Fixture The following 25 players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on 14 and 19 November 2024, respectively. Caps and goals correct as of 20 November 2024, after
2622-559: Is commonly known as " Matildas fever ". An early match took place at the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum , located in Wacol in suburban Brisbane , on 7 August 1875, when a team of inmates and wards men from the asylum played against the visiting Brisbane Australian rules football club; the rules of the match which clearly stated that the "ball should not be handled nor carried" was a direct reference to British Association Rules. A match
2736-690: Is the A-League Youth , founded for all A-League Men clubs that have Youth sides. The league, which currently has 10 teams, is divided into two groups each with five teams. The winners of both groups contest the end-of-season Grand Final to decide the league champions. There are several cup competitions for clubs at different levels of the soccer pyramid. The only major cup competitions are the Australia Cup . There have also been other cup competitions which are no longer run: According to Ausplay in 2024, there were 1,232,726 adults and 632,249 children playing
2850-436: Is underpinned by nine member federations which oversee all aspects of the sport within their respective region, including the organisation of state league and cup tournaments as opposed to national tournaments which are organised by FA. Member federations are state-based , although New South Wales is divided into a northern and southern federation. Former and current Australian professional soccer players are represented by
2964-458: Is used by the Sydney FC men's, women's, and National Premier League teams, in addition to both the men's and women's Academy. The elite facility includes 3 full sized training fields, including a marquee pitch with grandstand facilities, high tech training and medical facilities, gender inclusive change rooms, hot and cold recovery aquatic pools, and a multi-purpose lecture theatre. In addition, within
3078-537: The 1967 South Vietnam Independence Cup against seven other nations, but this gained little recognition domestically. After failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1966 and 1970 , losing in play-offs to North Korea and Israel respectively, Australia finally appeared at their first World Cup in West Germany, 1974 . After managing only a draw from Chile and losses from East Germany and West Germany ,
3192-502: The 2011 AFC Asian Cup saw Australia become runners-up to Japan, after losing in the Final 1–0 in extra time. In 2012, Australia agreed to compete in the East Asian Cup . Australia travelled to Hong Kong to compete in a series of qualification matches with the hopes of qualifying for the 2013 East Asian Cup . Despite handing several debuts and fielding an in-experienced squad, Australia
3306-463: The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup . After Australia qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup , Ange Postecoglou resigned from his position as coach; and former manager of the Netherlands national team, Bert van Marwijk , was subsequently appointed as his replacement. On 8 March 2018, after van Marwijk's first squad announcement, the FFA announced that Graham Arnold will take the coaching role from after
3420-619: The 2022 FIFA World Cup . Australia was drawn in group D along with world champions France , Denmark and Tunisia . Australia's qualification also meant that the Asian confederation had the largest number of teams in their World Cup history, with six countries qualifying. As preparation for the World Cup, Australia played two friendlies against neighbouring New Zealand , winning both games. It began its World Cup quest on 23 November against world champions France, losing 4–1 despite initially taking
3534-449: The A-League . The restructuring of the sport in Australia also saw the adoption of "football" by administrators, in preference to "soccer", to align with the general international name of the sport . Although the use of "football" was largely cultural, as part of an attempt to reposition the sport within Australia, there were also "practical and corporate reasons for the change", including
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3648-578: The AFF Championship due to their perceived wide gap in playing standards between Australia and the rest of the region. Australia's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification began with a series of friendlies against the United Arab Emirates (0–0), Germany (1–2 win), New Zealand (3–0 win), Serbia (0–0) and Wales (1–2 win). Australia's World Cup campaign started in the third round of qualification, with Australia topping their group to progress to
3762-488: The Australian Bicentennial Gold Cup . In 1997, Australia drew with reigning world champions Brazil 0–0 in the group stage and then defeated Uruguay 1–0 in the semi-finals to reach the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup Final . In 2001, after a victory against reigning world champions France in the group stage, Australia finished the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup in third place after defeating Brazil 1–0 in
3876-589: The Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), a trade union affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions and a member of FIFPro , the global representative organisation for professional soccer players. The association tends to soccer players' pay and conditions, and also protects soccer players from unfair dismissal. The A-League Men was founded in 2005 after Australia's former top-flight national league National Soccer League
3990-501: The Socceroos and the Matildas respectively, compete globally. Australia cohosted the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup with New Zealand. The Matildas finished fourth in that tournament (Australia's best ever performance at any World Cup, male or female), and the majority of Australians watched them play on television or at the stadium. It had a major impact on Australian sport, and the phenomenon
4104-554: The fourth round . After winning their last fourth round-game, Australia finished as runners-up in their group , qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on 18 June 2013. Shortly after achieving qualification to the FIFA World Cup, Australia played a series of friendly matches against Brazil and France, suffering consecutive 6–0 defeats. This along with previous poor performances during the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign resulted in manager Holger Osieck's sacking, bringing his four-year tenure as Australia's manager to an end. After
4218-486: The kangaroo . The words soccer and kangaroo are combined into a portmanteau word as soccer-roo ; such as Olyroos for the Australia Olympic soccer team or Hockeyroos for the Australian national women's hockey team . Australia's longtime rivals are trans-Tasman neighbours New Zealand . The two teams' history dates back to 1922, where they first met in both their international debuts. The rivalry between
4332-446: The round of 16 , where they were eliminated from the competition after a 1–0 defeat by the eventual champions Italy after conceding a controversial penalty in the 93rd minute. The loss marked the official end of Hiddink's tenure as Australia's national coach. The success achieved at the 2006 FIFA World Cup later saw the team named AFC National Team of the Year , as well as being dubbed
4446-458: The second round , in which they faced Kuwait , Jordan , Nepal and Chinese Taipei . Australia dominated the group with eight wins out of eight to reach the third round , where it faced Saudi Arabia , Japan , China , Oman and Vietnam . After a good start with three straight wins over China, Vietnam and Oman, Australia then won only one game, against Vietnam, in their final seven games, being held thrice and losing thrice, finishing third in
4560-481: The third round of qualification , drawn into a group, composed of Qatar , Iraq and China PR , in which Australia finished first. Australia eventually saw progression through to the 2010 FIFA World Cup after comfortably winning the fourth round of qualification in a group consisting of Japan, Bahrain , Qatar and Uzbekistan . Australia's qualification was already assured before the final two games, finally topping its group ahead of Japan by five points. Australia
4674-468: The " golden generation " in the history of the Socceroos. Led by coach Graham Arnold , Australia went to their first AFC Asian Cup in 2007 , sending a strong squad which included 15 players from the previous year's World Cup team. In Group A they played against Oman (1–1 draw), Thailand (4–0 win) and eventual champions Iraq (3–1 loss), assuring Australia's progression to the quarter-final stage of
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4788-485: The "Socceroos", represents Australia in international soccer. Australia is a four-time OFC champion, one time Asian champion and AFC National Team of the Year for 2006. The Men's team has represented Australia at the FIFA World Cup tournaments in 1974 , 2006 , 2010 , 2014 , 2018 and 2022 . In the Olympic arena, Australia first fielded a men's team at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. Australia did not compete again in
4902-483: The 18th ranked Uruguay in a rematch of the 2001 qualification play-off for a spot in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. After a 5–0 friendly win against Jamaica , the first leg of the play-off tournament was lost (1–0), with the return leg still to be played in Australia four days later in Sydney on 16 November 2005. The second leg of the qualifying play-off was played in front of a crowd of 82,698 at Stadium Australia . Australia led Uruguay 1–0 after 90 minutes following
5016-698: The 2003 friendly against England, the Socceroos have also played a significant number of games in England, especially London, since a high proportion of the senior team play in European leagues. This includes games at Craven Cottage in Fulham ( Fulham Football Club 's home ground), Loftus Road in Shepherd's Bush ( Queens Park Rangers ' home ground) and The Den in Bermondsey ( Millwall Football Club 's home ground). The following
5130-430: The 2018 FIFA World Cup until the 2022 FIFA World Cup . With van Marwijk, Australia was grouped with Denmark , France and Peru . The first match of Australia against eventual world champions France was praised by a valiant effort, in which Australia only lost 1–2 by a virtual own goal from Aziz Behich . After the defeat to France, Australia produced another outstanding performance, drawing Denmark 1–1. However, in
5244-538: The 21st century, a major migrant group furnishing new players in the A-League has been the African Australian community, with 34 players making an appearance in the 2020-2021 A-League season, up on 26 the previous year. These include Kusini Yengi and his brother, Tete Yengi , from South Sudan , and their friends, brothers Mohamed and Al Hassan Toure . In 2020, Football Federation Australia officially unveiled
5358-752: The Anglo-Queensland Football Association (now, Football Queensland ), and Northern New South Wales, in the Northern District British Football Association (now, Northern New South Wales Football ). In 1896, the Western Australian Soccer Football Association was formed. In 1900, a Tasmanian association was formed, and later, the South Australian British Football Association was formed in 1902. It
5472-498: The Australian national team is Australian Active Support (AAS). AAS, then known as Socceroos Active Support (SAS), was founded in January 2015 as an independent group, who uses social media to organise and keep in touch. This replaced the former active support group Terrace Australis , who were founded by Football Federation Australia and fans in 2013, during Australia's 2014 World Cup qualification campaign. Its establishment came in
5586-759: The Gabba in Brisbane, which hosted Australia's first international match on home soil in 1923, a 2–1 win over New Zealand. It was the fourth Australian team match overall, with the first three internationals played in New Zealand. Other venues which regularly hosted international home matches included Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne, the Sydney Cricket Ground , Sydney Sports Ground , Sydney Showground , and Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, and Subiaco Oval in Perth. Since
5700-536: The OFC progressed to the World Cup. Since Australia left the OFC to join the AFC in 2006, competition between the two teams has been infrequent, with the occasional match still receiving much media and public attention. After joining the AFC, Australia began to develop a fierce rivalry with fellow Asian powerhouse Japan . The rivalry began at the 2006 World Cup, where the two countries were grouped together. The rivalry continued with
5814-468: The Olympic arena, until the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games . Apart from London 2012 , where it failed to qualify a team, Australia has competed in all Olympic Men's Football competitions since 1988. There are also a number of national youth teams: Under-17 team , nicknamed the "Joeys"; Under-20 team , nicknamed the "Young Socceroos"; and the Under-23 team , nicknamed the "Olyroos". The latter is considered to be
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#17328581290485928-519: The Socceroos and the All Whites (New Zealand) is part of a wider friendly rivalry between the neighbours Australia and New Zealand, which applies not only to sport but to the culture of the two countries. The rivalry was intensified when Australia and New Zealand were both members of the OFC, regularly competing in OFC Nations Cup finals and in FIFA World Cup qualifications , where only one team from
6042-705: The South British Football Soccer Association), the very first administrative governing body of soccer within Australia and one of the first to be established outside the United Kingdom . In 1883, Balgownie Rangers , the oldest existing club in Australia was founded; the club currently competes in the Illawarra regional league. Later that year, the first inter-colonial game was played at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground , between
6156-658: The United Arab Emirates, and suffering successive losses against Qatar and Japan, combined with previous poor results earlier in the year, Australia slipped to 94 and 102 in the FIFA World Rankings , their lowest ever ranking. The new year saw Australia host the 2015 AFC Asian Cup , with the team making their third consecutive appearance in the tournament. Australia won their first two group matches against Kuwait and Oman comfortably, with scorelines of 4–1 and 4–0 respectively. This guaranteed their qualification for
6270-401: The World Cup; they lost play-offs in 1966 to North Korea , 1970 to Israel , 1986 to Scotland , 1994 to Argentina , 1998 to Iran and 2002 to Uruguay . The team's previously poor record in World Cup competition was not reflected in their reasonable performances against strong European and South American sides. In 1988, Australia defeated reigning world champions Argentina 4–1 in
6384-522: The administrative section of the main building there is a museum hosting the club history and trophy displays. Soccer in Australia In Australia , Soccer , also known as British football , is the most played outdoor team sport, and ranked in the top ten for television audience as of 2015. The national governing body of the sport is Football Australia (FA) which comprises nine state and territory member federations, which oversee
6498-425: The back of the neck also had woven the quote, "We Socceroos can do the impossible", from Peter Wilson , the captain of the 1974 Australian team. This kit was well received. In March 2016, FFA revealed the new Socceroos kit, which featured a yellow jersey, yellow shorts and green socks. This was reportedly in accordance with a FIFA directive, instructing all national teams to have matching shirts and shorts. This kit
6612-567: The country's most popular women's team sports. As with the men's game, the women's game in Australia saw a large expansion following the post-war immigration , though it is only in recent years that women's soccer has gained momentum, with such factors as the creation of the W-League and the success of the Australia women's national soccer team nicknamed "the Matildas" aiding the increasing popularity of
6726-471: The country, possibility of establishing promotion and relegation system, and expansion of women's football, with the aim to achieve the Vision 2035 for football in the country. In summer 2021, Football Australia officials announced a series of major reforms: the shift in calendar by aligning with Domestic Match Calendar and to avoid clashing with FIFA days so it could help the Socceroos to compete; establishment of
6840-473: The crucial match against already eliminated Peru, Australia lost 0–2 and crashed out from the World Cup with only a point, became the only team from the AFC to be winless in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Subsequently, van Marwijk left his post and Arnold came to replace him as the new coach of the Socceroos. Under Graham Arnold , Australia started their 2019 AFC Asian Cup in hope of defending the title, being grouped with Jordan, Syria and Palestine, but their hope
6954-496: The eve of the 1974 FIFA World Cup . Both nations have faced each other in consecutive World Cup play-offs in 2001 and 2005 with each nation winning a playoff final each to progress through to the World Cup. Australia and Uruguay also faced off in the 1997 Confederations Cup in Saudi Arabia, with Australia progressing through to the final against Brazil via a golden goal winner from Harry Kewell . The main supporter group of
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#17328581290487068-456: The first Asian representative to reach the knockout stage in Qatar 2022 . Australia's resurgence in the group stage was widely watched and followed by Australian supporters. Mass celebrations occurred after the upsets over Tunisia and Denmark, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the achievement "magnificent". In the round of 16, Australia lost 2–1 to Argentina , with Lionel Messi opening
7182-473: The first Australian national representative soccer team was constituted by the Australian Soccer Association to represent Australia for a tour of New Zealand . During the tour the Australia men's national team lost two out of the three matches against the newly formed New Zealand side . After World War I, large numbers of British and southern European arrived seeking opportunities in new industries across parts of Australia which led to establishing soccer as
7296-526: The flag, the Australian team uses as a base the colours of a typical plant in the country, the acacia , which has green leaves and yellow flowers. Their current away kit is a turquoise shirt with a gold stripe on either side of the shirt, the coat of arms being on top of a navy background. It is accompanied by navy shorts (also containing the gold stripes) and turquoise socks. Australia's kits have been produced by manufacturers including Umbro , Adidas , KingRoo, and since 2004 by Nike . Rather than displaying
7410-538: The formation of the National Premier Leagues in 2013 and subsequent restructuring of state leagues as part of the National Competition Review and Elite Player Pathway Review has paved the way for the development of the sport throughout the country. The launch of the Australia Cup (then known as FFA Cup) in 2014 has also similarly increased mainstream interest and grassroots development. In
7524-705: The former Yugoslavia . In 1984, the National Soccer Youth League was founded as a reserve and academy league to run in parallel to the National Soccer League. In 1996, the first national women's soccer competition, the Women's National Soccer League was founded. The National Soccer League and those for women and youth flourished through the 1980s and early 1990s, though with the increasing departure of Australian players to overseas leagues. Soccer reached notable popularity among Australian people during
7638-615: The game. In 2021 the W-League was renamed to A-League Women. Women's soccer was added to the Olympic program in 1996, with Australia first fielding a Women's team at Sydney 2000 . Australia fielded a team at the Athens 2004 Olympics, but did not qualify for the final Olympic tournament again until Rio 2016 . Australia cohosted the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup with New Zealand. The Matildas finished fourth in that tournament (Australia's best ever performance at any World Cup, male or female), and
7752-679: The gap between minority communities and other classes within the country, thus bringing about a unique unity. The most prominent soccer clubs in Australian cities during the 1950s and 1960s were based around migrant-ethnic groups , all of which expanded rapidly at that time: Croatian , Greek , Macedonian and Italian communities gave rise to most of the largest clubs, the most notable being South Melbourne (Greek-based), Sydney Olympic (Greek-based), Marconi Stallions (Italian-based), Adelaide City (Italian-based), Melbourne Knights (Croatian-based), Sydney United (Croatian-based) and Preston Lions (Macedonian-based). In 1956, Australia became
7866-516: The group. It then had to rely on fourth round playoffs . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , all of Australia's playoffs were centralised in Doha . The Socceroos began their quest with a 2–1 win over the United Arab Emirates , to face fifth place CONMEBOL qualification finisher Peru , a rematch of the 2018 FIFA World Cup . This time around, Australia held Peru goalless, before winning on penalties to make it to
7980-478: The knockout stage, despite losing their final group match against South Korea in Brisbane 1–0. They faced China PR in the quarter-finals and won 2–0, courtesy of a second-half brace from Tim Cahill. In the semi-finals, Australia won 2–0 over the United Arab Emirates and advanced to the final for the second time in a row. They faced South Korea in the final on 31 January at Stadium Australia , winning 2–1 after extra time to claim their first Asian title and qualify for
8094-460: The lead with goal from Craig Goodwin . Three days later Australia registered its first World Cup win since 2010 , overcoming Tunisia with a header from Mitchell Duke to seal a 1–0 win, sending Australia from bottom to second place. Four days later, against UEFA Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark, Australia won 1–0, thanks to a Mathew Leckie goal. Australia finished the group stage in second place behind France on goal difference, making Australia
8208-441: The logo of Football Australia, Australia's jersey traditionally features the coat of arms of Australia over the left breast. The team first wore the traditional green and yellow colours in 1924. Australia's 1974 World Cup kits were produced by Adidas as were all other national team kits in the tournament, with Adidas sponsoring the event. The kits, however, contained Umbro branding, due to the manufacturer's Australian partnership at
8322-419: The majority of Australians watched them play on television or at the stadium. It had a major impact on Australian sport, and the phenomenon is commonly known as " Matildas fever ". In April 2024, the 2023–24 A-League Women season set the record for the most attended season of any women's sport in Australian history, with the season recording a total attendance of 284,551 on 15 April 2024, and finishing with
8436-472: The match against Bahrain . The following players have also been called up within the last 12 months. Australia currently hold the world record for the largest win and the most goals scored by a player in an international match . Both records were achieved during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification match against American Samoa on 11 April 2001. Australia won 31–0 with Archie Thompson scoring 13 goals and David Zdrilic scoring 8. Two days before
8550-467: The mid-1990s, Soccer Australia (the governing body for the sport) attempted under the Chairmanship of David Hill to shift soccer into the Australian mainstream and away from direct club-level association with migrant roots. Many clubs across the country were required to change their names and badges to represent a more inclusive community. The sport experienced major change in the country in 2003, after
8664-406: The most caps for Australia, with 109 to his name, while Tim Cahill has the most goals scored , with 50. Australia initially developed a rivalry with New Zealand and a rivalry with Uruguay , and, after joining the AFC, has developed a fierce rivalry with Japan . The first Australia national team was constituted in 1922 for a tour of New Zealand, which included two defeats and a draw. For
8778-423: The next 36 years, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa became regular opponents in tour ( exhibition ) matches. During that period, Australia also competed against Canada and India during their tours of Australia in 1924 and 1938 respectively. Australia recorded their worst ever defeat on 30 June 1951 as they lost 17–0 in a match to a touring England side. Australia had a rare opportunity to compete on
8892-625: The oldest club in Australia currently in existence is Balgownie Rangers , formed in 1883 in Wollongong . Wanderers were also the first known recorded team to play under the Laws of the Game . A semi-professional national league, the National Soccer League , was introduced in 1977. The NSL was replaced by professional A-League , in 2004, which has contributed to a rise in popularity in the sport. Australia
9006-409: The only way for Australia to progress was to abandon Oceania. On 13 March, the AFC executive committee made a unanimous decision to invite Australia to join the AFC. After the OFC executive committee unanimously endorsed Australia's proposed move, FIFA approved the move on 30 June 2005. Australia joined Asia, with the move taking effect on 1 January 2006, though until then, Australia had to compete for
9120-651: The organisational split, promotion and relegation does not take place between the A-League and NPL. Below the NPL, is what is commonly known as "state-league". This refers to clubs outside of NPL, although they still play in organised league competitions for each state in the Australian system . There are many district leagues and soccer clubs in Australia, examples include NSW districts Bankstown , Blacktown , Eastern Suburbs with their own semi-professional leagues with clubs from their respective districts. Many club sides have youth teams. The top level of youth soccer in Australia
9234-516: The quarter-finals, however, in the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium , the place where Australia had lost their opening match against Jordan, Australia once again failed to register any win in the same ground, losing to the host United Arab Emirates 0–1 due to a mistake from Miloš Degenek , eventually failing to defend the title. Australia took part in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification , which they entered in
9348-445: The regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The team played its first match in 1922 and originally participated in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). In this confederation, Australia won the OFC Nations Cup four times between 1980 and 2004, and dominated many FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns during earlier rounds. The team won 31–0 against American Samoa in World Cup qualification, achieving
9462-592: The return match. The first recorded match in Sydney under the Laws of the Game was contested between Wanderers and members of the Kings School rugby team at Parramatta Common on 14 August 1880. The Wanderers, considered the first soccer club in Australia, was established on 3 August 1880, by English- émigré John Walter Fletcher . Later, in 1882, Fletcher formed the New South Wales English Football Association (also referred to as
9576-409: The scoring and Julián Álvarez getting the second after dispossessing Mathew Ryan . Australia pulled one back when Goodwin's shot deflected into goal off Enzo Fernández and Garang Kuol almost scored the equaliser in injury time, but his shot was smothered by Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez . On 20 September 2024, Graham Arnold announced he was stepping down as head coach, two games into
9690-409: The second half of the 20th century. Johnny Warren , a prominent advocate for the sport, who was a member of the Australia national team at their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 1974, entitled his memoir Sheilas, Wogs, and Poofters (a reference to the Australian slang : sheila , wog , poofter ), giving an indication of how Warren considered the wider Australian community viewed "wogball". In
9804-411: The socks altered throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s from white to the same green as the shorts to the same yellow colour as the jersey. This peculiarity of the uniform refers to exactly the combination of colours used in it: although the country's flag has the colours blue, red and white, the selection uses shades of green and yellow. That's because, unlike many national teams, who base their colours on
9918-613: The sport by Gemba found that 1.96 million Australians were actively involved in the game as a player. When coaches, referees and fans are included it is estimated that involvement with the sport is around 3.1 million. National Men's soccer teams of various age groups represent Australia in international competition. Australian national teams historically competed in the OFC , though since FFA 's move in 2006, Australian teams have competed in AFC competitions. The Australia national soccer team , nicknamed
10032-485: The sport of which about a quarter were female with an overall participation per capita of 6.9% making it the most participated team sport. According to FIFA 's Big Count in 2006, a total of 970,728 people in Australia participated in the sport, with 435,728 registered players, and 535,000 unregistered players. These numbers were higher than the equivalents for other sports such as cricket , Australian rules football , rugby league and rugby union . In 2013, an audit on
10146-454: The sport within their respective region. The season in Australia is played during the summer, to avoid clashing with Australian rules and Rugby league which dominant spectator and media interest there. Modern soccer was introduced in Australia in the late 19th century by mostly British immigrants. The first club formed in the country, Wanderers , was founded on 3 August 1880 in Sydney , while
10260-457: The team has also qualified for the World Cup in every attempt, qualifying an additional four times for an overall six qualifications. Australia has made appearances in the World Cup knockout stages twice, having progressed to this stage in 2006 and 2022 . The team additionally represented Australia at the now-defunct FIFA Confederations Cup four times, winning a silver and bronze medal in 1997 and 2001 respectively. Mark Schwarzer has
10374-416: The team which was made up of mostly amateur players was eliminated at the end of the first round , finishing last in their group without scoring a goal. It would prove to be the only appearance for the Australian team until the World Cup tournament returned to Germany more than three decades later in 2006 . Over a 40-year period, the Australian team was known for its near misses in its attempts to qualify for
10488-423: The then European champions Greece for the 2006 World Cup, Australia was placed into Group F , along with Japan , Croatia and defending champions Brazil. In their opening group game, Australia defeated Japan 3–1, with Tim Cahill scoring two goals (84', 89') and John Aloisi scoring one (90+2') in the last eight minutes. Their goals made history, being the first ever scored by Australia's men's soccer team in
10602-575: The then Minister for Sport , Rod Kemp , and the Australian Parliament commissioned a report by the Independent Soccer Review Committee. Its findings in the structure, governance and management of soccer in Australia led the restructure of Football Federation Australia (previously Australian Soccer Federation, Soccer Australia, Australia Soccer Association) and later in 2005, the succeeding relaunched national competition,
10716-639: The third round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying . The Socceroos had only picked up one point from two matches. On 23 September 2024, Football Australia appointed Tony Popovic as head coach. Australian matches are broadcast by Paramount+ and on free-to-air by Network 10 . Previous coverage has been provided by Fox Sports (2018–2021), Ten network on its 10 Bold channel, ABC , SBS until 2016 and Nine on its 9Go! channel (2016–2017). The national team has set multiple ratings records for both subscription and free-to-air television. Australia's final 2006 World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay
10830-549: The third-place decider. Australia defeated England 3–1 at West Ham United 's Boleyn Ground in 2003 as Wayne Rooney made his international debut. In early 2005, it was reported that Football Australia had entered into discussions to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and end an almost 40-year association with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). Many commentators and fans, most notably soccer broadcaster and former Australian captain Johnny Warren , felt that
10944-400: The time. Nike renewed the kit manufacturer deal with FFA for another 11 years in 2012, handing them the rights to make national team kits until 2022. In the lead-up to the 2014 World Cup, the new kits to be worn by the team were revealed. The design of the new kits included a plain yellow shirt with a green collar, plain dark green shorts and white socks, a tribute to the 1974 Socceroos. Inside
11058-473: The tournament helped increase the profile and popularity of the sport in the country. The national team qualified for second and third consecutive FIFA World Cups in 2010 and 2014 ; and placed second in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup . The joining of Western Sydney Wanderers to the A-League in 2012 saw a rise in interest for the league within Australia, particularly increasing mainstream interest and re-engagement with disaffected Western Sydney soccer fans. Also,
11172-401: The tournament. Though after drawing 1–1 with Japan after extra time, Australia exited the tournament on penalties at the quarter-final stage. An international friendly on 11 September 2007 against Argentina (1–0 loss) was Graham Arnold's last game as head coach, with the position eventually being filled by Pim Verbeek on 6 December 2007. Australia began their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign in
11286-535: The two countries meeting regularly in various AFC competitions, including the 2011 Asian Cup final and qualification for the 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026 World Cups. Another major rival within Asia is South Korea , who Australia came up against in three World Cup qualification campaigns in the 1970s and, since joining the AFC, have met regularly including the victory by Australia in the 2015 Asian Cup final . A rivalry exists with Uruguay since their first meeting on
11400-555: The university, having based its training facilities out of the University's sporting fields since 2007. In 2019 former CEO Danny Townsend announced that the club would be transitioning into new facilities, either at the university or in the sporting precinct of Moore Park , adjacent to the Sydney Football Stadium In May 2021 it was announced that the club would be extending its partnership with Macquarie University on
11514-478: The wake of poor off-field action and minimal community engagement. Previously, the emergence of Terrace Australis saw the Green and Gold Army relinquish its role as a hub for active support, which it had claimed since its establishment in 2001. Since the 2015 AFC Asian Cup triumph, the supporters had encouraged people in Australia to focus more on the national team, and the nation's soccer pride. Australia does not have
11628-478: The winning penalty for a place in the World Cup, Australia's first qualification in 32 years. Australia went into the 2006 World Cup as the second lowest-ranked side. Although their ranking vastly improved in subsequent months after a series of exhibition matches against high-profile teams, including a 1–1 draw against the Netherlands , and a 1–0 win at the sold-out 100,000 capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground against
11742-468: The world record for the largest victory in a senior international match. Despite this, the team only managed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup twice in 11 attempts while in this confederation. The team moved to the AFC in 2006, winning the AFC Asian Cup once in 2015 and finishing runners-up in 2011 . By winning this competition, Australia became the only team in the world to have won two different confederation cups. Since moving confederations,
11856-415: The world's stage during the team's first major international tournament as hosts of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics . However, an inexperienced squad proved to be reason for the team's disappointing performance. With the advent of cheap air travel, Australia began to diversify its range of opponents. However, its geographical isolation continued to play a role in its destiny for the next 30 years. Australia won
11970-565: Was a founding member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) before moving to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2006. The main professional leagues are the A-League Men , A-League Women and the Australia Cup however foreign leagues such as the Premier League , the Championship and the Women's Super League are also popular. The men's and women's national teams, known as
12084-510: Was drawn into Group D in the 2010 FIFA World Cup , which featured three-time world champion Germany, Ghana and Serbia . On 14 June 2010, Australia faced Germany. Pim Verbeek's surprising decision to play without a recognised striker saw Australia comprehensively defeated 4–0. Verbeek received heavy criticism for his tactics, with SBS (Australia's World Cup broadcaster) chief soccer analyst Craig Foster calling for his immediate sacking. Australia's second group match against Ghana resulted in
12198-477: Was met with wide public contention, primarily due to the colour change of the shorts from the traditional green to yellow. Australia's nickname, "Socceroos", was coined in 1967 by Sydney journalist Tony Horstead in his coverage of the team on a goodwill tour to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War . It is commonly used by both the Australian people and the governing body, the FFA. The nickname represents
12312-722: Was not until 1911 that a governing body was formed to oversee soccer activities in the whole of Australia. The first such organisation was called the Commonwealth Football Association . However, this body was superseded by the Australian Soccer Association, which was formed in 1921. Australia is regarded as the first country where squad numbers in soccer were used for the first time when Sydney Leichardt and HMS Powerful players displayed numbers on their backs, in 1911. One year later, numbering in soccer would be ruled as mandatory in New South Wales . On 17 June 1922,
12426-613: Was recorded to be played in Hobart on 10 May 1879, when members of the Cricketer's Club played a scratch match under English Association Rules, which were adopted by the club. The game was a return match to one played on 24 May by the clubs, under a variant of the Victorian rules ; to prevent the disadvantage faced by the Cricketers, the clubs agreed that that Association rules would be adopted in
12540-498: Was replaced. The A-League Men is contested between 12 clubs. The league covers the only competition controlled by the Australian Professional Leagues and the only professional league in Australia. The National Second Division is the upcoming Australian second-tier professional division, and is expected to begin from 2025. The National Premier Leagues has 90 clubs, divided into eight divisions by state. Despite
12654-408: Was shattered by a shocking 0–1 defeat to Jordan . Australia soon returned to the race by beating Palestine 3–0 before winning an important encounter with a hard-fought 3–2 win over Syria, eliminating both Palestine and Syria in the process. The win gave Australia to qualify for the round of sixteen, where they overcame Uzbekistan after winning on penalties 4–2, having drawn 0–0 for 120 minutes. In
12768-452: Was state-based. In 1962, the Australia Cup was established, but its ambition of becoming an FA Cup style knockout competition went unfulfilled with its demise in 1968. In 1977, the first national soccer competition, the National Soccer League , was founded. Migrants continued to boost interest in and player for the sport in the 1970s and 1980s, especially from the Middle East and from
12882-485: Was successful, finishing ahead of Hong Kong , North Korea, Guam and Chinese Taipei to progress to the 2013 East Asian Cup, where Australia eventually finished last behind Japan, South Korea and China PR. On 26 August 2013, Australia became full members of the ASEAN Football Federation but as part of their entrance agreement with the sub-confederation, their national team is barred from participating in
12996-447: Was the highest rating program in SBS history with an audience of 3.4 million viewers, while a 2010 World Cup qualifying match against Uzbekistan set a record for the highest subscription television audience, with an average of 431,000 viewers. The 2015 Asian Cup Final against South Korea had a total reach of 5.3 million Australians overall. Australia's first kit was sky blue with
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