Socceroos coach Tony Popovic is brimming with confidence Australia can beat Japan for the first time since 2009 and earn automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The arch rivals will lock horns in front of more than 50,000 fans at Perth's Optus Stadium on Thursday night, and there's plenty on the line for the Socceroos.
While Japan (20 points) have already qualified for the World Cup, Australia (13 points) and Saudi Arabia (10 points) are locked in a fight for the second automatic qualifying berth.