Subway Socceroos’ Head Coach, Graham Arnold has named a 23-man squad for the November FIFA Men’s International Window, as Australia commences their FIFA World Cup 2026™ Second Round Asian Qualifiers.
It will be the first step for the Subway Socceroos in a new FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle, as they take on Bangladesh on Thursday, 16 November at AAMI Park in Melbourne and Palestine on Tuesday, 21 November in Kuwait.
Arnold has named a relatively unchanged squad from the one who faced England and New Zealand in October, as his side returns to play on home soil for the first time since their FIFA World Cup 2022™ homecoming fixtures against Ecuador in March of this year.
Craig Goodwin (Al Wehda FC) will be looking to continue his recent club form when he arrives in Melbourne, with the midfielder having scored five goals in seven appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Captain, Mat Ryan (AZ Alkmaar) will also bring a rich vein of form into Subway Socceroos’ camp, with eight clean sheets in 17 appearances across all club competitions this season.
Joe Gauci (Adelaide United FC) and Jamie Maclaren (Melbourne City FC) are recalled to the national team following the commencement of the Isuzu UTE A-League, while Aziz Behich (Melbourne City FC) and Brandon Borrello (Western Sydney Wanderers FC) have also been named.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Socceroos/status/1722445176990531678
Kusini Yengi (Portsmouth FC) will join his first Subway Socceroos’ camp, alongside the returning Ashley Maynard-Brewer (Charlton Athletic FC) with the uncapped duo set to bolster their experience within a national team setting.
Cameron Burgess and Massimo Luongo (Ipswich Town FC) will make the trip to Melbourne, while Harry Souttar (Leicester City FC) and Sam Silvera (Middlesbrough FC) will face off in an EFL Championship fixture prior to making their way into camp.
The fixtures signify the beginning of a 16-game stretch to earn a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final Rounds, in what is one of world football’s longest qualification routes.
Subway Socceroos Head Coach, Graham Arnold said his side was ready to get their campaign underway.
“We’ve had the opportunity to test ourselves against some of world football’s best in the last six months, and our performances have shown just how effective we can be, learning a lot along the way,” Arnold said.
“It was a chance to grow as a group, providing opportunities to younger players in preparation for the start of the 2026 World Cup qualification cycle.
“Those performances have not only shown what we’re capable of, but reinforced a strong belief within this group as we begin an extremely important period.”
Arnold said the focus of the group was on making a strong start against Bangladesh and Palestine.
“It’s important that we build and maintain a momentum that will see us be successful throughout this campaign and beyond,” Arnold said.
“We’re all really looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd, the connection we have with our fans and the energy and support they bring is a huge driver for us – I know the players can’t wait.”
The Second Round – which doubles as direct qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup 2027™ in Saudi Arabia – will see the Subway Socceroos play Bangladesh, Lebanon and Palestine in a home-and-away round-robin format, between November 2023 and June 2024. Should Australia finish Group Winner or Group Runners-Up, they will directly qualify for the next AFC Asian Cup™.
Fans in Australia will be able to watch the Subway Socceroos take on Bangladesh and Palestine live and exclusive on 10, 10 Play and Paramount+.
SUBWAY SOCCEROOS’ SQUAD l NOVEMBER FIFA MEN’S INTERNATIONAL WINDOW
| Name | Current Club, Country | ‘A’ Caps (Goals) | Junior Club (Member Federation/Country) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keanu BACCUS | St Mirren FC, Scotland | 10 (0) | Parklea FC / Football New South Wales |
| Aziz BEHICH | Melbourne City FC, Australia | 61 (2) | Meadow Park SC / Football Victoria |
| Brandon BORRELLO | Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Australia | 9 (1) | Modbury Jets SC / Football South Australia |
| Jordy BOS | K.V.C Westerlo, Belgium | 4 (0) | Hoppers Crossing SC / Football Victoria |
| Martin BOYLE | Hibernian FC, Scotland | 22 (6) | Lewis United FC / Montrose FC (Scotland) |
| Cameron BURGESS | Ipswich Town FC, England | 2 (0) | ECU Joondalup / Football West |
| Alessandro CIRCATI | Parma Calcio 1913, Italy | 1 (0) | Perth Soccer Club / Football West |
| Mitchell DUKE | FC Machida Zelvia, Japan | 30 (10) | Liverpool Rangers SC / Football New South Wales |
| Joe GAUCI (Gk) | Adelaide United FC, Australia | 1 (0) | Cumberland United FC / Football South Australia |
| Craig GOODWIN | Al Wehda FC, Saudi Arabia | 18 (2) | Munno Para City FC / Football South Australia |
| Jackson IRVINE | FC St Pauli, Germany | 58 (9) | Ringwood City SC / Football Victoria |
| Massimo LUONGO | Ipswich Town FC, England | 44 (6) | APIA Leichhardt FC / Football New South Wales |
| Jamie MACLAREN | Melbourne City FC, Australia | 30 (8) | Green Gully SC / Football Victoria |
| Ashley MAYNARD-BREWER (Gk) | Charlton Athletic FC, England | 0 | ECU Joondalup / Football West |
| Connor METCALFE | FC St. Pauli, Germany | 11 (0) | South Cardiff FC / Northern NSW Football |
| Lewis MILLER | Hibernian FC, Scotland | 2 (0) | Pittwater RSL FC / Football New South Wales |
| Aiden O’NEILL | Standard de Liège, Belgium | 5 (0) | University of Queensland Football Club (Formerly Kenmore FC) / Football Queensland |
| Kye ROWLES | Heart of Midlothian FC, Scotland | 12 (0) | Palm Beach SC / Football Queensland |
| Mathew RYAN (Gk) (Cpt) | AZ Alkmaar, Netherland | 84 (0) | Blacktown City FC / Football New South Wales |
| Sam SILVERA | Middlesbrough FC, England | 2 (0) | Blacktown City FC / Football New South Wales |
| Harry SOUTTAR | Leicester City FC, England | 19 (8) | Brechin City Boys Club (Scotland) |
| Ryan STRAIN | St Mirren FC, Scotland | 4 (0) | Aston Villa FC (UK) |
| Kusini YENGI | Portsmouth FC, England | 0 | Fulham United FC / Football South Australia |
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ SECOND ROUND ASIAN QUALIFIERS:
Subway Socceroos v Bangladesh
Thursday, 16 November 2023
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-off: 8.00pm AEDT
Tickets: via Ticketek
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+
Palestine v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday, 21 November 2023 (Local) | Wednesday, 22 November 2023 (AEDT)
Jaber Al-Ahmed International Stadium, Kuwait
Kick-off: 5pm Local, 1am AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+