Difficult task Socceroos face to guarantee their passage to the 2026 World Cup as familiar foes stand in the way
A win against the highest ranked team in Asia is the key for the Socceroos to book their ticket to America for the 2026 World Cup.
It has been a long journey for the Socceroos but Tony Popovic's football philosophy has positioned the playing group within arm's reach of gaining automatic qualification.
Currently in second place in their qualifying group, the Socceroos hold a three-point advantage as well as a goal difference buffer of nine over their third-placed rivals Saudi Arabia.
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However, with two more qualifying matches still to be played by all in the qualifying group before the final standings are confirmed, the competition is still very much alive.
Popovic's men will host group leaders and world No.15 Japan on Thursday before taking on Saudi Arabia the following week on rival territory.
A crucial win over Japan is all the team mathematically will need to guarantee their spot in the draw, given all rival outcomes also fall in their favour.
Since 2014, Australia have faced Japan on six occasions but have yet to secure a win, with four losses and two draws recorded.
Kye Rowles of the Socceroos celebrates with team mates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Australia Socceroos and Lebanon. Getty
In fact, the last time Australia defeated Japan was 16 years ago during the 2010 World Cup qualifying group stage.
Still, in a promising sign for coach Popovic, the pairs last meeting in October 2024 ended in a 1-1 draw.
Japan's team during that match was predominately made up of players who were based in the European leagues, while a mixture of European-based and J-League players have been named to travel for Thursday's game. That should play into Australia's hands.
If a win is not to be achieved, a draw should still do the job to keep the Socceroos on track for qualification due to their goal difference.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia will face a tough task to narrow the goal difference before facing Australia in a last ditch attempt to qualify among the top two.
However, a loss against Japan for Australia would leave the door ajar.
Indonesia also pose a threat for Australia's qualification chances, although the odds of two wins and bridging the goal difference gap of 14 is highly unlikely.
There is also a pathway that could see Australia qualify by Friday for the World Cup, with that set to occur if both Indonesia and Saudi Arabia lose their respective games.
If this is to unfold, it would be the first time the Socceroos have qualified directly into the World Cup since 2014.
Nevertheless, if Australia fails to make the top two in this third round of qualifying, their World Cup dreams will not be over as they have secured entry into the fourth round of qualifying that will be held in October.
