2026 World Cup Squad

[grazorblade]

Some MLS data just dropped. Herrington looks near elite, but needs to improve his 1v1s a bit and progressive passing slightly

 

[grazorblade]

for some reason trewin, rowles and bonetig don't have their wagon wheels up yet

 

[socceroosmad]

So who are the smokies for the World Cup Squad? There's alway's one or two.

I see these as two types. Injury returns and strong late form. I'll add another category, the consistently over-looked and under-appreciated.

Some options for each category.

Injury returns: Souttar, Silvera, C. Goodwin, Luongo, Leonard

Late form surge: Younis, Scicluna, A. Goodwin

Overlooked: Sapsford, Bennie, Nisbet.

Who would you add? Who would you pick?

I have a gut feeling that if Younis is picked he could be something special. Very mature for his age. His whole family are footballers. Check out the interview

 

[JS96]

I'd actually like Younis in the squad ahead of others. We need players who can beat a defender.

 

[Quicky]

I'd actually like Younis in the squad ahead of others. We need players who can beat a defender.

I guess the question is can he do that to international quality defenders? Theres projection there. I kinda want to see him picked on potential. He's exciting.

What I like is he has more power and strength than our other tricky wingers - especially those who have come out of the AL with hype.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

I guess the question is can he do that to international quality defenders? Theres projection there. I kinda want to see him picked on potential. He's exciting.

What I like is he has more power and strength than our other tricky wingers - especially those who have come out of the AL with hype.

Marcus Younis definitely has the potential to make it as part of the Socceroos playing list but the problem is he has no experience at senior international level so will need to be getting game time during the pre-World Cup friendlies first instead of being fielded into the starting XI right off the bat when the World Cup proper gets underway.

 

[JS96]

I guess the question is can he do that to international quality defenders? Theres projection there. I kinda want to see him picked on potential. He's exciting.

What I like is he has more power and strength than our other tricky wingers - especially those who have come out of the AL with hype.

Exactly and what often happens if they get shoved around and made to look like they have a lot of work to do. We saw it with Arzani in 2018. He won some battlers but it wasn't with such ease. Kuol was the same. Irankunda is ahead so I expect to see him tear it up.

 

[patjennings]

My 26 - the concern is GK depth. Big drop off after Ryan. If Volpato did swap I would bring him in for Silvera.

Max	Balard
Aziz	Behich
Jordan	Bos
Cameron	Burgess
Alessandro	Circati
Cammy	Devlin
Mitchell	Duke
Joe	Gauci
Jason	Geria
Archie	Goodwin
Lucas	Herrington
Nestory	Irankunda
Jackson	Irvine
Jacob	Italiano
Paul	Izzo
Garang	Kuol
Riley	McGree
Connor	Metcalfe
Joshua	Nisbet
Alex	Robertson
Kye	Rowles
Mathew	Ryan
Samuel	Silvera
Harry	Souttar
Mo	Toure
Patrick	Yazbek

 

[JS96]

My 26 - the concern is GK depth. Big drop off after Ryan. If Volpato did swap I would bring him in for Silvera.

Max	Balard
Aziz	Behich
Jordan	Bos
Cameron	Burgess
Alessandro	Circati
Cammy	Devlin
Mitchell	Duke
Joe	Gauci
Jason	Geria
Archie	Goodwin
Lucas	Herrington
Nestory	Irankunda
Jackson	Irvine
Jacob	Italiano
Paul	Izzo
Garang	Kuol
Riley	McGree
Connor	Metcalfe
Joshua	Nisbet
Alex	Robertson
Kye	Rowles
Mathew	Ryan
Samuel	Silvera
Harry	Souttar
Mo	Toure
Patrick	Yazbek

Hey I thought we were on the 35's first

Glancing, I can't really complain here but with these additions it's hard for me to identify the omissions.

OK O'Neill out is a big one but how you've squeezed in all of Goodwin, Silvera, Yazbek, Kuol and Geria I don't know.

Boyle and Mabil out is the shake up.

 

[Quicky]

FIFA re-posted this to their youtube channel 3-days ago. Every Ausyralian World Cup goal. Always worth a re-watch.

 

[patjennings]

Hey I thought we were on the 35's first

Glancing, I can't really complain here but with these additions it's hard for me to identify the omissions.

OK O'Neill out is a big one but how you've squeezed in all of Goodwin, Silvera, Yazbek, Kuol and Geria I don't know.

Boyle and Mabil out is the shake up.

Hrustic and Okon Jr also not there. I listened to a pod today where someone included them because that is what Popovic would do. even then they said that there were better young CMs in the A - League and that also fitted with my view. The problem then was what were they trying to pick. The best squad or what Popovic will pick. I didn't pick their suggestions either.

There are a load of young players coming through but this teams only averages about 26 or 27. As they come through I think we will be stronger in 2030 but I can't pick all of them because they need more experience and at a World Cup we need that experience as well.

 

[JS96]

According to Fox Sports the 35 or so training squad will be named on May 6 and the camp will commence in Florida the day after.

Lots of leaks before then. 35 means there'll definitely some omissions already.

 

[JS96]

Who do you think certainly should make the 35 but we may see omitted completely in a few days?

Teague isn't exactly one of those but that's a name to tick off as being out after featuring. Maybe Elder given his fitness.

Silvera I think. I reckon Popovic won't bother. It's going to be so competitive. Injuries are coming either at club or camp so a lot of players are hungry and waiting.

 

[patjennings]

Honestly if everyone that Paramount want in, was in, it would be a 90 man squad.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

Who do you think certainly should make the 35 but we may see omitted completely in a few days?

Teague isn't exactly one of those but that's a name to tick off as being out after featuring. Maybe Elder given his fitness.

Silvera I think. I reckon Popovic won't bother. It's going to be so competitive. Injuries are coming either at club or camp so a lot of players are hungry and waiting.

I think Jason Geria will be one of the players who should make the 35-player preliminary list but ends up getting omitted altogether because he hasn't really had good form this year for Albirex Niigata despite playing full nineties for most of the season.

 

[JS96]

Honestly if everyone that Paramount want in, was in, it would be a 90 man squad.

Daniel Garb's 150.man short list belongs in an Australian football museum.

 

[JS96]

I think Jason Geria will be one of the players who should make the 35-player preliminary list but ends up getting omitted altogether because he hasn't really had good form this year for Albirex Niigata despite playing full nineties for most of the season.

Would be so gutting for him. On recent game time you'd think so. A bit less so given seniority. Popovic undoubtedly making so phone calls.

Maybe that's why Degenek got mad at his club coach. I wouldn't expect Popovic it to invite him though.

 

[JS96]

I think if you're on the outer and have anl season eating into mid May then you're probably just not going to be invited. Popovic won't allow a few days to impress him. That's why I think Silvera has bad cards.

Sounds unfair but they're already on the outer and time is tighter when his season ends.

 

[JS96]

Remember the late burst of form Maclaren had at Hibs and then he got called into the world cup late? Who did he replace?

 

[JS96]

In-form Jamie Maclaren axed from Socceroos World Cup squad

A hat-trick at the weekend and a total of eight goals in his last 13 matches have not been enough to keep alive Jamie Maclaren’s hopes of going to Russia

www.theguardian.com

Interesting to read the omissions here. Wright, Giannou, Susnjar, Langerak, Gersbach.