FIFA World Cup Australia 2022 Squad, Group & Live Score
Australia will face New Zealand twice later this month as their preparations for the showpiece event in Qatar continue. The Socceroos qualified for the tournament via June’s intercontinental playoffs, with backup goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne an unlikely hero to beat Peru on penalties.
Our Mabil scored the crucial penalty shootout goal in a last-minute win at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatari city west of the capital Doha. After 90 minutes of regular time and 30 extra minutes, the score remained 0-0, forcing a shootout.
Australia kicked first when Martin Boyle’s shot was stopped, and Gianluca Lapadula found the net. Aaron Mooy and Alexander Callens both converted their shots, leaving Peru 2-1 up after two rounds. In the third round, Craig Goodwin scored, and Luis Advincula missed. It lasted into the fifth round, as Ajdin Klejtic and Renato Tapia both scored in the fourth round. Jamie McLaren and Addison Flores scored in the fifth round, forcing a sixth – and what ended up being the deciding – round. Mabil’s first shot put pressure on Alex Valera to score to keep Peru’s hopes alive. But Australian keeper Andrew Redmayne secured the team’s ticket to Qatar with a save.
What are Australia’s fixtures?
| Date | Country | Stadium | Time |
| Nov 22 | France vs Australia | Al Janoub Stadium | 07 pm |
| Nov 26 | Tunisia vs Australia | Al Janoub Stadium | 10 am |
| Nov 30 | Australia vs Denmark | Al Janoub Stadium | 03 pm |
FIFA World Cup Australia 2022 Squad
- DF: Milos Degenek (Columbus Crew)
- DF: Fran Karacic (Brescia)
- DF: Nathanial Atkinson (Hearts)
- DF: Bailey Wright (Sunderland)
- DF: Aziz Behich (Dundee United)
- DF: Trent Sainsbury (Al-Wakrah)
- DF: Ryan Strain (St Mirren)
- DF: Harrison Delbridge (Incheon United)
- DF: Joel King (OB)
- DF: Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata)
- GK: Mat Ryan (Copenhagen)
- GK: Andrew Redmayne (Sydney FC)
- GK: Mitchell Langerak (Nagoya Grampus)
- FW: Martin Boyle (Hibernian)
- FW: Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City)
- FW: Jamie Maclaren (Melbourne City)
- FW: Awer Mabil (Cadiz)
- FW: Mitchell Duke (Fagiano Okayama)
- FW: Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)
- FW: Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners)
- FW: Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners)
- FW: Adam Taggart (Cerezo Osaka)
- MF: Denis Genreau (Toulouse)
- MF: Ajdin Hrustic (Verona)
- MF: Aaron Mooy (Celtic)
- MF: Riley McGree (Middlesbrough)
- MF: Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli)
- MF: Connor Metcalfe (St. Pauli)
- MF: Keanu Baccus (St Mirren)
- MF: Cameron Devlin (Hearts)
- MF: Tyrese Francois (Gorica)
FIFA World Cup Australia 2022 Latest odds:
Australia is currently 250/1 to win the World Cup 2022.
The leading contenders…
- Argentina 7/1
- Brazil 9/2
- France 6/1
- England 7/1
- Spain 8/1
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Qualifying was tough this time
The Socceroos had a tough journey to the final qualifier against Peru on Tuesday night. At the final whistle, Socceroos manager Graham Arnold noted that 16 of Australia’s 20 qualifying matches had been played away from home, mostly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Australia started well in their Asian Confederation qualifying group but fell behind Saudi Arabia and Japan after a couple of crucial draws against weaker teams. The South American qualifiers, who finished third in the group stage and finished fifth at the last World Cup, staged a do-or-die contest against the United Arab Emirates for the chance to play against Peru, who humbled the Socceroos at the last World Cup.
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Holding the World Cup in Qatar will be unprecedented
It will be the first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East and starting on November 21, it will also be the first to be held in the northern hemisphere’s winter months. This decision was made due to the hot and humid climate of Qatar. Much has been made of the eight stadiums in and around Doha equipped with outdoor air-conditioning systems designed to keep conditions under control for players and fans. In November, however, temperatures in Qatar are also cooler, averaging around 24C.
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Human rights groups have criticized the decision
Human rights organizations have condemned the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar. Much of the criticism has focused on the country’s record on migrant workers. Qatar’s government has responded to criticism from human rights groups, saying it has reformed labor practices and claiming it has made significant progress in addressing the effects of heat stress.
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What are the Socceroos’ chances in their group?
Australia qualified for Group D alongside France, Denmark, and Tunisia. France is ranked third in the world and current holder and Denmark, ranked 11th and recent semi-finalists at the Euros will be firm favorites to finish in the top two and progress to the knockout stages.
Australia’s best performance at the World Cup was a heartbreaking 1-0 loss against Italy in the Round of 16 in 2006. And it was a star-studded team, often described as the “golden generation” of the Socceroos.
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Where and when to watch
As far as timing, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Australia v France on Tuesday 22 November at 6 am AEDT. The crucial game against Tunisia is on Saturday 26 November at 9 pm prime time. Finally, the Socceroos played Denmark on Wednesday 30 November at 2 am. The World Cup final will take place at the 80,000-capacity Lucille Stadium on Monday, December 19 at 2 am (AEDT).
