The road to North America lies through Western Australia, and the hope for the Socceroos is that it doesn’t all go south against their rivals from East Asia. A win against Japan in Perth on Thursday would almost certainly be enough for coach Tony Popovic’s side to take the second automatic spot in their 2026 World Cup qualifier group. The good news is that there has never been a better time to face a Samurai Blue side that has already qualified and is in experimental mode. The bad news is … well, that is for Saudi Arabia to deal with.
Having dominated Group C – being the first to book a berth in the newly expanded 48-team tournament and boasting a goal difference of plus-46 in 14 qualifiers so far – Japan have earned the right to bring a squad containing just seven players with more than 10 international caps to Australia. They have also cemented their reputation as a genuine global force. After clinching their spot against Bahrain in March, captain Wataru Endo – one of the few established stars to make this trip – said that it was time to think about winning the World Cup. In 2005, the Japan Football Association pledged to do so by 2050. People laughed at the time, but to wait that long now would be a little disappointing.
