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2026 World Cup Squad

JS96 said:
Any reference to Yengi here should currently refer to Tete and Kusini is out. I think we should just call him Tete. I feel for Kusini because he contributed well before moving to an anti football league and we've got enough case studies and evidence that one player's style simply doesn't fit that type. The reason Japanese players are successful in Scotland is because they're at the top two clubs and the opponents are traffic cones.
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Keeper66 said:
Go back to the 80’s, or watch rugby league or rugby union 🙂
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Can I go back to the 60s please?
 
Quicky said:
I'm pretty bummed. Our inside forwards are shot. I was hoping for McGree, Goodwin, Segecic and Volpato. Injury, bad management, personal choices. We wont see any of them.
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Exactly and no one in the press will go hard on Popovic. Remember the grilling and arrogance Ange had to put up with? They'd pause with his answer in press conferences then insinuate some more garbage and Ange would bite.

Minimal chance Goodwin gets flown over. It'll be Hrustic and others just being nudged up.
 
Quicky said:
Up shot is Irankunda, Robertson and Metcalfe should play and will go okay.
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I think I'd feel more gutted about Bos or Irankunda but something is going to happen to someone else. It's inevitable.

Hard truth is we'll never have a 100% squad and every tournament has had a sad injury.
 
JS96 said:
I think I'd feel more gutted about Bos or Irankunda but something is going to happen to someone else. It's inevitable.

Hard truth is we'll never have a 100% squad and every tournament has had a sad injury.
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Come on mate, stop with the negativity and cursing the lads.

There is no more risk with us than any other team in world football. You can't bubble wrap them from playing and training for club or international preparation. Some players are more injury prone that others but other than that, injuries happen to all teams. Look at the teams in our group also dealing with some injuries concerns of their own. Enjoy the lead in to the World Cup, being excited about the prospect of seeing Bos, Irankunda, Circati and Toure on the world stage.

Let's, however, channel our frustration at the fact Robertson and other talent like Adams, Younis, Balard are being overlooked for Brandon Borrello...
 
In terms of selection, I'm speculating that if we agree these ensuing leagues are the top level of football in the world, we have few players playing in them. Most other teams do, including our opponents -Turkey, USA and Paraguay.

1. UEFA Big Five 15 players a team get a game each week. 15 x20 teams in 5 UEFA leagues equals 1500 players.

2. UEFA Big teams who play a lot in Champ League and Europa League football in weaker leagues - Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland.
Scotland, Denmark, Serbia, Croatia, Turkey?
20 ish x15 equals 300 players.

3. English Champ - top second div in world. Top 10 Champ teams x 15 players equals 150 players.

4. Brazil/Argentina - 600 players in both leagues.

5. How good are Mexico, Japan and USA leagues comparatively? 50 more high quality players from all 3 leagues?

All this equates to circa 2600 pool of players playing at the highest level in world football. How many Aussies ?

1. Ryan, Circati, Irvine, Metcalfe ( sub) - play Big Five football. Who else?

2. Bos plays for a big Dutch club. Deg in Serbia? Who else?

3. Iran, McGree, Toure, Burgess, Souttar play Champ. Silvera not required?

4. No Aussies in the South American Big Two.

5. We have a number of Aussies doing well in USA. Is current MLS worthy of being deemed in the same category as the other top leagues?

With circa Aussie 11 players playing in 1, 2 and 3 club scenarios, compared to most adversaries at the WC, who have a lot more players playing in the aforementioned leagues, are our expectations too high for Aus? Do we have sufficient depth?
 
JM47 said:
Come on mate, stop with the negativity and cursing the lads.

There is no more risk with us than any other team in world football. You can't bubble wrap them from playing and training for club or international preparation. Some players are more injury prone that others but other than that, injuries happen to all teams. Look at the teams in our group also dealing with some injuries concerns of their own. Enjoy the lead in to the World Cup, being excited about the prospect of seeing Bos, Irankunda, Circati and Toure on the world stage.

Let's, however, channel our frustration at the fact Robertson and other talent like Adams, Younis, Balard are being overlooked for Brandon Borrello...
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Agree with most of this, but one needs to credit Popa with having appraised many players in camp, relative to others, in practice games.

Some players gel with each other better than others. Some players' club perfomances are not the same in national team scenarios. Some are better than they are at club, playing with different international Aussie teammates.

I've been surprised at Okon Jr's national team performances given what he does in the AL with SFC?

Some fit into some game plans better than others. Some Aus players play in club scenarios, where their club coaches don't, or never have had to negate the tactics of international opponents.

Another big factor is experience. It is frequently overlooked on this forum. One has to know one's own game well before players can organise others around them in games.

Intra-continental club football is another invaluable experience.
 
JM47 said:
Come on mate, stop with the negativity and cursing the lads.

There is no more risk with us than any other team in world football. You can't bubble wrap them from playing and training for club or international preparation. Some players are more injury prone that others but other than that, injuries happen to all teams. Look at the teams in our group also dealing with some injuries concerns of their own. Enjoy the lead in to the World Cup, being excited about the prospect of seeing Bos, Irankunda, Circati and Toure on the world stage.

Let's, however, channel our frustration at the fact Robertson and other talent like Adams, Younis, Balard are being overlooked for Brandon Borrello...
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It's only more frustrating that we're picking certain players over others.

Injuries are inevitable but we don't have the depth of other nations.
 
Irvine, O'Neill, Okon, Devlin and Leckie. How defensive first do we wanna be? If we end up starting Irvine and O'Neill, with Hrustic/Metcalfe and Boyle as the 10's then the World Cup is genuinely over. That is the scenario where Irankunda is used as a super-sub (I don't agree with). Without McGree and Irankunda on the field, the remaining players are going to get cooked.

I don't mind Metcalfe but you need a lot of talent around him for him to be useful, with Irankunda and Toure around him, it's okay. Who is Irvine's partner? I'd rather Okon or Devlin than O'Neill.

I was listening to one of the Socceroos interviews from the camp a few days ago, and they were saying how Popa is really focusing on being attacking, ball-possession, offensive from the first whistle but with the players selected, it's really hard to see how that's the case.

You can almost pin-point the exact 26 now, though!
 
So plenty of athletes and little ball players, going full Popa ball this is going to be so much fun lol.
 
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