Australia vs Japan, 2026 World Cup Qualifying - AFC, Third Round
· FIFA World Cup Qualifying - AFCLate Behich winner all but secures Socceroos World Cup spot
The Socceroos have effectively punched their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after an Aziz Behich stunner in the 90th minute lifted them to a 1-0 win over Japan at a sold-out Optus Stadium.
Game Information
Venue: Optus Stadium
Location: Perth, Australia
Attendance: 57,226
Line-Ups
Australia (3-4-2-1)
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mathew Ryan (GK) |
| 2 | Milos Degenek |
| 21 | Cameron Burgess |
| 23 | Alessandro Circati |
| 17 | Ryan Teague |
| 13 | Aiden O'Neill |
| 16 | Aziz Behich |
| 3 | Lewis Miller |
| 11 | Brandon Borrello |
| 8 | Connor Metcalfe |
| 6 | Martin Boyle |
Japan (3-4-2-1)
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 23 | Kosei Tani (GK) |
| 4 | Tsuyoshi Watanabe |
| 16 | Koki Machida |
| 2 | Hiroki Sekine |
| 5 | Kaishu Sano |
| 7 | Joel Chima Fujita |
| 20 | Kota Tawaratsumida |
| 11 | Yu Hirakawa |
| 9 | Yuki Ohashi |
| 15 | Daichi Kamada |
| 8 | Yuito Suzuki |
WCQ - AFC News
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After a disappointing World Cup debut last time out, 2026 could just be Takefusa Kubo's time to shine for Japan.