Members of the Socceroos squad have arrived back in Australia, as the country continues to celebrate their stoic run to the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Socceroos exited the tournament in the knock-out stage via a 2-1 loss to Argentina on Sunday morning (AEDT).
It was the second time the Socceroos had reached the round of 16 at the World Cup, but never before had they won two matches during the group stage.
The Socceroos defeated Tunisia and Denmark — both by 1-0 scorelines — to advance from Group D.
They lost 4-1 to reigning champions France in their opening match.
Some of the squad arrived back in Melbourne and Sydney on Monday evening to be met by adoring fans wanting to show their appreciation of the Socceroos' performance in Qatar.
Jamie Maclaren — who arrived back in Melbourne with teammates Thomas Deng and Marco Tilio — said the Socceroos could be proud of their results.
"We played against one of the best teams and the best players who have played the game," he said.
"So we can hold our heads high and know that it's the best finish that a Socceroos team has had at a World Cup and now, that's the standard."
Deng said the World Cup was an "unforgettable" experience.
"It was really amazing," he said. "It is a dream come true for me and for many others. This is our first World Cup for a lot of the young boys that are coming in.
"It's just something we are never going to forget."
Tilio said the Socceroos squad were humbled by the support they received from fans around Australia.
He said they were moved by the size and passion of the crowds that attended live sites during matches.
"We were looking back after games and it was crazy, all the scenes we were seeing around Australia," Tilio said.
"I think that is the biggest thing that made us push to want more and, overall, we united the nation and that's what we planned to do."
Several of the A-League Men-based Socceroos players are expected to return to club duty as early as this week.
