Socceroos Primed for Deep World Cup Run After Auto-Qualification

Veterans Aziz Behich and Milos Degenek hope different path can deliver better result than ever.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 1:53am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a Socceroos soccer match, with players and the field broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and shape, conveying the team's strategic focus ahead of the 2026 World Cup.The Socceroos' automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup allows them to focus on strategic preparation rather than the pressure of the playoff system.Columbus Today

After twice reaching the World Cup through the intercontinental playoffs, the Australian national soccer team, the Socceroos, have automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Veteran players Aziz Behich and Milos Degenek are excited about the team's prospects, with the extra preparation time allowing them to bond as a group and fine-tune their tactics ahead of the tournament.

Why it matters

The Socceroos' automatic qualification means they can focus on preparing for the World Cup without the added pressure and uncertainty of the playoff system. This should give them a better chance of making a deep run in the tournament and potentially achieving their best-ever result.

The details

Behich and Degenek were part of the Socceroos squads that reached the 2018 and 2022 World Cups via the intercontinental playoffs. However, after Behich's winning goal against Japan last year secured automatic qualification, the team can now enjoy a different path to the 2026 tournament. This includes a send-off match against Curacao, as well as friendlies against Mexico and a European opponent, expected to be Switzerland, in the weeks before the World Cup begins.

  • Behich's winning goal against Japan last year sealed automatic qualification for the Socceroos.
  • The Socceroos will play a send-off match against Curacao on Tuesday night at AAMI Park.
  • Friendlies against Mexico and a European opponent, expected to be Switzerland, await in the United States in the weeks before the World Cup begins on June 11, 2026.

The players

Aziz Behich

A veteran Socceroos player who was part of the squads for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and scored the winning goal against Japan last year to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament.

Milos Degenek

Another veteran Socceroos player who was also part of the squads for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and is excited about the team's prospects with the extra preparation time ahead of the 2026 tournament.

Tony Popovic

The Socceroos coach, who is intrigued by the prospect of playing Curacao, ranked No. 82 in the world, as part of the team's preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

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What they’re saying

“To be honest, it's really nice not to have to worry about a playoff. It's nice obviously to just know that you're already going and you don't have to worry about another game and then another one after that.”

— Aziz Behich, Socceroos player

“This one gives us a lot more chance to prepare even more and to have an even more successful World Cup. Just purely based on the fact we have a lot more time to work on things that we need to work on and things that aren't clicking to make them click.”

— Milos Degenek, Socceroos player

“It's exciting to play a different opponent, different style, a real footballing team, they want to play. So they'll give us different challenges, and I want to see how we can overcome that.”

— Tony Popovic, Socceroos coach

What’s next

The Socceroos will play a friendly against Curacao on Tuesday night at AAMI Park, followed by matches against Mexico and a European opponent, expected to be Switzerland, in the United States in the weeks before the 2026 World Cup begins on June 11.

The takeaway

The Socceroos' automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup has given them a valuable opportunity to thoroughly prepare for the tournament, allowing the team to bond, fine-tune their tactics, and potentially achieve their best-ever result on the global stage.