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2026 World Cup Squad

There are only 29 players left in camp. Three to be cut.

I can't see how ditching Robertson this early is a smart-move? If there is an injury in midfield we have to call him back-up potentially, he's also the only midfielder who offers something a bit more technical first and different.

Anyways this seems to be the squad....

1. Ryan
2. Izzo
3. Beach
4. Bos
5. Behich
6. Herrington
7. Souttar
8. Circati
9. Degenek
10. Burgess
11. Geria
12. Italiano
13. Trewin
14. Irvine
15. O'Neill
16. Devlin
17. Okon-Engstler
18. Metcalfe
19. Leckie
20. Hrustic
21. Irankunda
22. Boyle
23. Mabil
24. Velupillay
25. Toure
26. Yengi


Players to miss-out
Gauci
Rowles
Borello

We are so lucky to have young players like Irankunda, Toure, Bos and Circati, because otherwise this team is terrible.
 
A bit surprised by those released. Would have thought Robertson and Duke would have been there.

Assuming that means O'Neill is fit enough and the backup striker is now between Velupillay, Borello and Tete.

Rules out Karacic, Balard and Juric I imagine.
 
1. Ryan, Circati, Irvine, Metcalfe ( sub) - play Big Five football. Who else?
Better league doesn’t always mean better player or club to be fair. St. Pauli (who got relegated so aren’t in the Big Five anymore as they’re in the 2. Bundesliga) would be a Championship side if they were in England. Dylan Leonard plays for Schalke who got promoted so are now in the Bundesliga.

2. Bos plays for a big Dutch club. Deg in Serbia? Who else?
Miloš Degenek plays for APOEL Nicosia in the Cypriot First Division. Deg hasn’t been getting heaps of game time though so he arguably shouldn’t be picked.

4. No Aussies in the South American Big Two.
Those leagues rarely sign non-South American players to be fair. They more so act like a development league that attracts high-quality European scouts. The reason they’re good leagues is because they produce such great talents.
 
Have done a bit of sleuthing on the 31 currently announced for camp re: squad numbers - this is the updates I've got from images, and I did notice something a little interesting.....

  1. ??
  2. Milos Degenek
  3. ??
  4. ??
  5. Jordy Bos
  6. Martin Boyle
  7. Mat Leckie
  8. Connor Metcalfe
  9. Mo Toure
  10. Ajdin Hrustic
  11. Nestory Irankunda
  12. Paul Izzo
  13. Aiden O'Neill
  14. ??
  15. Mitch Duke (cut)
  16. Aziz Behich
  17. Cameron Devlin
  18. Joe Gauci
  19. Harry Souttar
  20. ??
  21. Cameron Burgess
  22. Jackson Irvine
  23. Jacob Italiano
  24. Alex Robertson (cut)
  25. Jason Geria
  26. Gianni Stensness (cut)
  27. Raphael Borges Rodriguez (cut)
  28. Patrick Beach
  29. Anthony Caceres (cut)
  30. Daniel Bennie (cut)
  31. Ante Suto (cut)
  32. Nick D'Agostino (withdrawn injured)
  33. Brandon Borrello
  34. Nishan Velupillay
  35. Dylan Leonard (cut)
Incoming players (not officially assigned a number in images yet), or those we never saw a number for
  • Mat Ryan
  • Kye Rowles
  • Alessandro Circati
  • Awer Mabil
  • Paul Okon-Engstler
  • Tete Yengi
  • Kai Trewin
  • Riley McGree
  • Hayden Matthews (withdrawn injured)
Looks like a possible switch to #3 for Circati
Updated in the "quote" section with the new changes
 
A bit surprised by those released. Would have thought Robertson and Duke would have been there.

Assuming that means O'Neill is fit enough and the backup striker is now between Velupillay, Borello and Tete.

Rules out Karacic, Balard and Juric I imagine.
Pretty fucked if we’re prioritising Brandon Borrello and Nish Velupillay over Alex Robertson and Ante Šuto. No Max Balard or Zac Sapsford either. Pretty sure Fran Karačić was injured for too long.
 
There are only 29 players left in camp. Three to be cut.

I can't see how ditching Robertson this early is a smart-move? If there is an injury in midfield we have to call him back-up potentially, he's also the only midfielder who offers something a bit more technical first and different.

Anyways this seems to be the squad....

1. Ryan
2. Izzo
3. Beach
4. Bos
5. Behich
6. Herrington
7. Souttar
8. Circati
9. Degenek
10. Burgess
11. Geria
12. Italiano
13. Trewin
14. Irvine
15. O'Neill
16. Devlin
17. Okon-Engstler
18. Metcalfe
19. Leckie
20. Hrustic
21. Irankunda
22. Boyle
23. Mabil
24. Velupillay
25. Toure
26. Yengi


Players to miss-out
Gauci
Rowles
Borello

We are so lucky to have young players like Irankunda, Toure, Bos and Circati, because otherwise this team is terrible.
Cannot believe Rowles has missed out?

There is a lot of depth at CB, but IMO he is possibly the best Left WB cover for Bos, if Popa won't play Metcalfe there.
 
Better league doesn’t always mean better player or club to be fair. St. Pauli (who got relegated so aren’t in the Big Five anymore as they’re in the 2. Bundesliga) would be a Championship side if they were in England. Dylan Leonard plays for Schalke who got promoted so are now in the Bundesliga.


Miloš Degenek plays for APOEL Nicosia in the Cypriot First Division. Deg hasn’t been getting heaps of game time though so he arguably shouldn’t be picked.


Those leagues rarely sign non-South American players to be fair. They more so act like a development league that attracts high-quality European scouts. The reason they’re good leagues is because they produce such great talents.
Better league doesn’t always mean better player or club to be fair. St. Pauli (who got relegated so aren’t in the Big Five anymore as they’re in the 2. Bundesliga) would be a Championship side if they were in England. Dylan Leonard plays for Schalke who got promoted so are now in the Bundesliga.


Miloš Degenek plays for APOEL Nicosia in the Cypriot First Division. Deg hasn’t been getting heaps of game time though so he arguably shouldn’t be picked.


Those leagues rarely sign non-South American players to be fair. They more so act like a development league that attracts high-quality European scouts. The reason they’re good leagues is because they produce such great talents.
Better league doesn’t always mean better player or club to be fair. St. Pauli (who got relegated so aren’t in the Big Five anymore as they’re in the 2. Bundesliga) would be a Championship side if they were in England. Dylan Leonard plays for Schalke who got promoted so are now in the Bundesliga.


Miloš Degenek plays for APOEL Nicosia in the Cypriot First Division. Deg hasn’t been getting heaps of game time though so he arguably shouldn’t be picked.


Those leagues rarely sign non-South American players to be fair. They more so act like a development league that attracts high-quality European scouts. The reason they’re good leagues is because they produce such great talents.
Agree with the first paragraph.

Thanks for the update re Deg.

Lastly the cream of South Americans play in the Big South American Two - to the best of my knowledge. They draw the best Chileans, Colombians, Uruguayans, et al.
 
A bit surprised by those released. Would have thought Robertson and Duke would have been there.

Assuming that means O'Neill is fit enough and the backup striker is now between Velupillay, Borello and Tete.

Rules out Karacic, Balard and Juric I imagine.

Robertson is a strange one, but the rest aren't surprises.

We are clearly going to be playing defence first, counter attacking football. We need pace up front and CB's who are threatening at set pieces.
 
Pretty fucked if we’re prioritising Brandon Borrello and Nish Velupillay over Alex Robertson and Ante Šuto. No Max Balard or Zac Sapsford either. Pretty sure Fran Karačić was injured for too long.
At least our treatment of dual nationals has been consistent. Fly Suto to Australia for two friendlies, doesn't get a minute. Fly him to a training camp for less than a week, then cut. Leonard and Stensness were in the same batch of arrivals, but given their circumstances, different scenario.
 
Lastly the cream of South Americans play in the Big South American Two - to the best of my knowledge. They draw the best Chileans, Colombians, Uruguayans, et al.
Yeah but few non-South Americans. You don’t get many “Gringos” (even as marquees).
 
Stepping back from looking at the guys sent home, the squad is actually pretty good in terms of young players. It doesn't have any kids who are there for the experience (ie a Bennie, Younis etc). But the young guys picked are all either in the first team (Irankunda, Toure, Bos, Cicati, Italiano) or pushing hard (Herrington, Okon, Trewin).

We could reasonably see a starting line up with seven of these guys. I would say four are guaranteed, five very likely with Irankunda. All 24 and under. For some context, the line up against Chile in 2014 had four guys 24 and younger. And that felt like a really raw team, it doesn't feel this way with these kids.

This might not be our world cup given the ages of these guys. But it sure feels like something could be building the next couple of cycles if we look at the core of the team and a lot of the guys we are disappointed were left out this time around.
 
There are only 29 players left in camp. Three to be cut.

I can't see how ditching Robertson this early is a smart-move? If there is an injury in midfield we have to call him back-up potentially, he's also the only midfielder who offers something a bit more technical first and different.

Anyways this seems to be the squad....

1. Ryan
2. Izzo
3. Beach
4. Bos
5. Behich
6. Herrington
7. Souttar
8. Circati
9. Degenek
10. Burgess
11. Geria
12. Italiano
13. Trewin
14. Irvine
15. O'Neill
16. Devlin
17. Okon-Engstler
18. Metcalfe
19. Leckie
20. Hrustic
21. Irankunda
22. Boyle
23. Mabil
24. Velupillay
25. Toure
26. Yengi


Players to miss-out
Gauci
Rowles
Borello

Of the 3 to miss out, i think it'll be Gauci, Herrington and Borello.

I personally would select Herrington over Rowles, but I don't think Popa will be picking an 18 year old CB for a world cup. Popa might keep him around the squad for the experience though.
 
Of the 3 to miss out, i think it'll be Gauci, Herrington and Borello.

I personally would select Herrington over Rowles, but I don't think Popa will be picking an 18 year old CB for a world cup. Popa might keep him around the squad for the experience though.
Better not be Ale, Mo and Nestor that miss out ffs.
 
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