Who are the Socceroos?
The Socceroos are Australia's national men's football (soccer) team. They have played at six FIFA World Cups, qualified for a seventh in 2026, and won the AFC Asian Cup in 2015.
Australia first qualified for the World Cup in 1974 in West Germany. After a long gap, the team reached the 2006 World Cup in Germany, beating Uruguay in a dramatic penalty shootout in Sydney in 2005 to qualify.
At the 2006 tournament, coached by Guus Hiddink, the Socceroos reached the round of 16. In 2022 in Qatar, they reached the round of 16 again, losing to eventual champions Argentina.
Moving to Asia
In 2006 Australia moved from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation. The team won the 2015 Asian Cup on home soil, beating South Korea in the final in Sydney.
Famous players include Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, Mark Schwarzer and Mile Jedinak.
The team plays in green and gold.
Home matches are played at stadiums across the country, and the team's supporters, known for their passionate singing, travel in large numbers to World Cups.
Did You Know?
Tim Cahill is the Socceroos' all-time leading goal scorer, with 50 international goals.