Socceroos coach Tony Popovic is keeping the door open for Mathew Leckie and Harry Souttar, two of Australia’s last World Cup legends, as he stresses the importance of their intangibles ahead of next month’s tournament in North America.
Popovic leaves on Wednesday for the team’s pre-World Cup camp in Sarasota, Florida, and will be joined by a group of eight players – including Leckie and Souttar, who starred for the Socceroos at Qatar 2022 but lack match fitness due to debilitating injuries they have recently overcome.
But if they can show their bodies are good enough to cope with the rigors of what lies ahead, they look certain to be selected in Popovic’s 26-man squad after he spoke highly of him on Monday about how both had developed a level of “mental toughness you can’t buy”.
Leckie, 35, scored an important goal against Denmark to guarantee Australia a place in the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup, but he has played just four games this year after recovering from hip surgery and is clearly in the dark of his career.
However, his most recent performance – a 120-minute midfield replacement for Melbourne City in their A-League final loss to Auckland FC at the weekend – showed that, when out of trouble, he can still produce quality football..
And it was a timely reminder that while everyone – including Popovic – is excited about some of the Socceroos’ young guns, it’s the experience of the big game that counts at the World Cup.
“If you look at the game that was just played, Mathew Leckie was the best player on the field at the age of 35, with no football under his belt. That, a young player still can’t do that,” Popovic told reporters.
“That’s the difference, and that’s what you need at the World Cup. Now, is he going to play in the World Cup? That’s going to come down to his body. But if you just look at the quality of what he could do at 35 with no football under his belt, a young player can’t do that.
“(They) will probably do that with time and experience and maturity and strength. They offer something different; they offer raw talent … but we’re not talking about friendlies now. We’re talking about the World Cup and I think (Leckie) showed the difference at the weekend.”
Souttar, 27, only recovered from an ACL injury before the last World Cup but still he was considered one of the Socceroos’ best performers in Qatar. To be involved in the next, he will have to run the same gauntlet.
He has made just two appearances – a win and a draw for relegated Championship side Leicester City – since injuring his Achilles in November 2024, but Popovic could not speak highly of his performance.
“If you look at those two games, there is a presence, there is an aura, there is a leader,” he said.
“You don’t get that from a young player overnight. That takes time, and (already) he’s done it at the World Cup when he’s also played at a lower level. They’ve shown the resilience and mentality you need at the World Cup, because you need to be able to suffer, you need to be able to go through tough times… (it’s) on another level so far for anything we’ve done.”
Popovic has until May 11 to submit to FIFA a long list of 55 players – which will not be made public – from which his World Cup squad, expected to be announced on June 1, must be selected.
FIRST EIGHT PLAYERS TO ATTEND SOCCEROOS TRAINING CAMP
Harry Souttar (Leicester City), Hayden Matthews (Portsmouth), Anthony Caceres (Macarthur FC), Mitch Duke (Macarthur FC), Brandon Borrello (Western Sydney), Nick D’Agostino (Brisbane Roar), Nishan Velupillay (Melbourne Victory), Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City).
Disappointment is inevitable, with Popovic’s strategy of expanding Australia’s squad as wide as possible since qualifying last year having created a wide field of worthy candidates, not all of whom may succeed.
Popovic said “70 to 80 percent” of his 26-man roster was settled in his mind, with training camp in Florida designed to give those whose seasons ended early, or were cut short by injuries, a chance to prove themselves.
More players will join the camp in the coming weeks when their club commitments are completed, and the door is not closed to anyone, Popovic said – including 20-year-old striker Marcus Younis, who has arguably been the A-League’s best player over the past four months, but was not named as part of the initial training camp alongside Melbourne City team-mate Leckie.
As always, there will be curveballs. Aiden O’Neill, one of Popovic’s most used midfielders and expected to start at the World Cup, suffered an ankle injury on Monday morning while playing for New York City FC, putting him in doubt.
“We’ve looked at the video, and it’s hard to tell how bad it is,” Popovic said. “We’re waiting for more tests, and we should know more in the next 24 to 48 hours.”
By then, Popovic will have arrived in the United States, and the prospect of coaching his nation at the World Cup – after going to the 2006 edition as a player – will go from something he has been looking forward to for a long time, to a real and tangible experience.
The Socceroos will play two friendlies, against Mexico (May 31, AEST) and Switzerland (June 7), before opening their Group D campaign against Turkey on June 14.
“This morning with my son, I took out the suitcase and started to put a few things,” Popovic said.
“He said, ‘Dad, you’re packing to go to the World Cup.’ And I said, Yes, my son, I am. So this is it now. I am happy, honored, proud. I understand the responsibility, and I’m very happy with the amazing staff I have, and an amazing group of young people who want to be the best they can be … we go there without fear and understand the difficulty of it, but also the excitement of it.”
KEY DATES FOR THE SOCCEROOS 2026 WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN
- May 5: Pre-camp in Sarasota begins
- May 30: Friendly – Mexico v Australia, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Los Angeles
- May 31: Arrive at base camp in Oakland, Alameda
- June 1: FIFA World Cup 2026™ squads announced
- June 6: Friendly – Switzerland v Australia, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
- June 13: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Group D – Australia v Turkey, BC Place, Vancouver
- June 19: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Group D – USA v Australia, Seattle Stadium, Seattle
- June 25: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Group D – Paraguay v Australia, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara
*dates based on local time
