Of Australia’s 26 players, 17 are going to experience their first World Cup—and they’ll have to tame two top European powers to stay beyond three games.
Australia’s qualification for the 2022 World Cup was defined by thin margins. A last-minute loss to Japan and a 1–0 defeat to Saudi Arabia late in the qualifying process meant the Socceroos were going to have to fight through multiple playoffs to reach Qatar. This time, the margins tipped in favor of Graham Arnold’s side. Midfielder Ajdin Hrustic scored an 84th-minute winner over the United Arab Emirates in the Asian playoff to reach the intercontinental playoff against Peru.