The greatest show on earth has begun in Qatar: the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Yes, Australia is there, alongside 31 other nations.
Playing in their fifth straight FIFA World Cup, the Socceroos are rank outsiders. Progressing beyond the group stage for the first time since 2006 would be a huge achievement, and even winning one match would eclipse results from the last two World Cups.
However, let’s not allow pessimism or cynicism get us down. In sports, anything can happen and World Cups are notorious for chokes, upsets, and miraculous late winners. Here is an Aussie’s Guide to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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When are the Socceroos playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
The Socceroos will play three group matches across eight days. Realistically, one win, one draw, and a narrow loss should be enough to see them progress. Teams receive three points for a victory, one for a draw, and none for losses.
Australia v France is the first task, and what a mighty one it is. Though the reigning champions are missing key players, they remain a world powerhouse and one of the favourites in the tournaments. Kick-off is 6 AM on Wednesday, November 23. The key for the Socceroos here is not losing by a lot. A draw or win would be ideal, but a narrow defeat is still OK.
Australia v Tunisia is the game the Socceroos really need to win. Kick-off is 9 PM on Saturday, November 26. Though the Tunisians are ranked eight spots higher in the FIFA rankings, they are beatable.
Australia v Denmark will be a dead rubber if the Socceroos lose their first two matches. The Danish are good and will be the favourites, but a draw is not out of the question. Kick-off is 2 AM on Thursday, December 1.
If the Socceroos finish second in the group and advance to the Round of 16, they’ll face the winner of Group C, which is favoured to be Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Kick-off for this match is on track for Sunday, December 6 at 6 AM.
Australia’s Squad – The 2022 Socceroos
Goalkeepers: Andrew Redmayne, Mat Ryan, Danny Vukovic
Defenders: Fran Karacic, Harry Souttar, Milos Degenek, Kyle Rowles, Bailey Wright, Thomas Deng, Aziz Behich, Joel King, Nathaniel Atkinson
Midfielders: Aaron Mooy, Cameron Devlin, Keanu Baccus, Jackson Irvine, Craig Goodwin, Ajdin Hrustic, Riley McGree
Forwards: Mathew Leckie, Mitch Duke, Martin Boyle, Jamie Maclaren, Awer Mabil, Jason Cummings, Garang Kuol
| Name | Current Club, Country | “A” Caps (Goals) | Junior Club (Member Federation/Country) |
| Nathaniel ATKINSON | Heart of Midlothian, Scotland | 5 (0) | Riverside Olympic FC / Football Tasmania |
| Keanu BACCUS | St Mirren, Scotland | 1 (0) | Parklea FC / Football NSW |
| Aziz BEHICH | Dundee United, Scotland | 53 (2) | Meadow Park SC / Football Victoria |
| Martin BOYLE | Hibernian FC, Scotland | 19 (5) | Lewis United FC / Montrose FC (Scotland) |
| Jason CUMMINGS | Central Coast Mariners, Australia | 1 (1) | Lothian Thistle Hutchinson Vale FC (Scotland) |
| Milos DEGENEK | Columbus Crew, USA | 38 (1) | Blacktown City FC / Football NSW |
| Thomas DENG | Albirex Niigata, Japan | 2 (0) | Adelaide Blue Eagles / Football South Australia |
| Cameron DEVLIN | Heart of Midlothian, Scotland | 1 (0) | Sutherland Sharks / Football NSW |
| Mitchell DUKE | Fagiano Okayama, Japan | 21 (8) | Liverpool Rangers SC / Football NSW |
| Craig GOODWIN | Adelaide United, Australia | 10 (1) | Munro Para City FC / Football South Australia |
| Ajdin HRUSTIC | Hellas Verona FC, Italy | 20 (3) | Heatherton United SC / Football Victoria |
| Jackson IRVINE | FC St. Pauli, Germany | 49 (7) | Ringwood City SC / Football Victoria |
| Fran KARACIC | Brescia Calcio, Italy | 11 (1) | NK Lokomotiva / Croatia |
| Joel KING | Odense Boldklub, Denmark | 4 (0) | Shellharbour Junior FC / Football NSW |
| Garang KUOL | Central Coast Mariners, Australia | 1 (0) | Goulburn Valley Suns / Football Victoria |
| Mathew LECKIE | Melbourne City FC, Australia | 73 (13) | Brimbank Stallions FC / Football Victoria |
| Awer MABIL | Cadiz CF, Spain | 29 (8) | Saint Augustines FC / Football South Australia |
| Jamie MACLAREN | Melbourne City FC, Australia | 26 (8) | Green Gully SC / Football Victoria |
| Riley MCGREE | Middlesbrough FC, England | 11 (1) | Gawler Eagles FC / Football South Australia |
| Aaron MOOY | Celtic FC, Scotland | 53 (7) | Carlingford Redbacks FC / Football NSW |
| Andrew REDMAYNE (Gk) | Sydney FC, Australia | 4 (0) | Gosford City Dragons FC / Football NSW |
| Kye ROWLES | Heart of Midlothian, Scotland | 3 (0) | Palm Beach SC / Football QLD |
| Mathew RYAN (Gk) (Cpt) | FC Copenhagen, Denmark | 75 (0) | Blacktown City FC / Football NSW |
| Harry SOUTTAR | Stoke City, England | 10 (6) | Brechin City Boys Club (Scotland) |
| Danny VUKOVIC (Gk) | Central Coast Mariners, Australia | 4 (0) | St Clair United SC / Football NSW |
| Bailey WRIGHT | Sunderland AFC, England | 27 (2) | Langwarrin SC / Football Victoria |
How can I watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Australia?
Football fans will remember how Optus bungled the 2018 FIFA World Cup for Australian viewers. Thankfully, SBS has exclusive rights to all 64 matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and it’s completely free.
Who is Australia’s 2022 FIFA World Cup coach?
Graham Arnold has been Socceroos manager since just after the 2018 World Cup. His first assignment was the 2019 Asian Cup, where his team crashed out at the quarter-final stage following a 1-0 loss to Jordan.
As disappointing as that Asian Cup result was, Arnold, who took over from Guus Hiddink as caretaker, was always going to be defined by whether he could guide Australia to Qatar. The Socceroos upset Peru to scrape through in penalties, with Arnold making a key tactical decision to sub out goalie Mat Ryan for Andrew Redmayne. It worked, and he was widely applauded.
Arnold has mellowed since his first stint in charge.
“I tried the hard arse way in the 2007 Asian Cup and it clearly didn’t work,” he said in an interview with Code Sports.
“It didn’t feel natural coaching that way and being a dictator and all that.”
A changed man with more empathy and compassion, he has six A-League titles under his belt to show his progress. At the helm of Sydney FC and then Central Coast Mariners, his teams dominated.
Arnold’s contract ends with the last kick of the ball in Qatar, and while he is keen to stay on if wanted, much will depend on how the Socceroos perform on the grandest stage of all.
The Verdict
The blueprint for Australia progressing out of the group stage dates back to 2006, when Harry Kewell and his team came agonisingly close to taking eventual winners Italy to penalties in the Round of 16.
In that World Cup, Australia defeated Japan 3-1, lost to Brazil 2-0, and drew with Croatia 2-2. A win, a narrow loss, and a draw equalled four points, which was enough to progress.
The same logic applies to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Defeating Tunisia, narrowly losing to France, and drawing with Denmark should be enough for the Socceroos to stay in Qatar. The French often take a while to warm into tournaments, so meeting them first is the best result for Australia.
Don’t get us wrong, collecting four points from three games will be bloody tough. But it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
