Socceroos to face Japan as they learn 2026 World Cup qualifying fate

Australia will face Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 men's World Cup.

in the next stage of qualifying for the 2026 men's World Cup.

The Socceroos learned their next path on the road to reaching a sixth straight FIFA World Cup appearance after the draw was made in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, local time.

Graham Arnold's squad are currently the second-highest ranked team in Group C for the third round of qualifying and will play home-and-away fixtures from September to June next year.

They must finish in the top two of their six-team pool to automatically qualify for the 2026 finals.

The teams who finish third and fourth will be thrust into another group stage.

The Socceroos cruised through the second qualifying round with six wins from as many matches, beating Palestine 5-0 in Perth earlier this month to wrap up the phase.

They are ranked 23 on the FIFA rankings, with Japan 17 in the standings.

The 2026 tournament will be co-hosted by Canada, the USA and Mexico and expands from 32 teams to 48 for the first time.

AAP