Australia
Manager: Tony Popovic
Australia gave eventual winners Argentina a real scare in the last 16 four years ago, but the Socceroos were in danger of missing out on this summer's finals until Tony Popovic replaced Graham Arnold in September 2024. Popovic duly led his country to their sixth successive World Cup appearance and has implemented a clear tactical plan based around a 3-4-2-1 that prioritises moving the ball wide quickly, delivering crosses and feeding off second balls. The Socceroos' schedule is not ideal as they face their toughest Group D opponents, Turkey and USA, in their first two games, before closing out the section against Paraguay. The Aussies have plenty of energy and enthusiasm, but they lack much attacking quality and an early exit seems likely.
