In many ways, football and migration have always been intertwined in Australia. From its introduction by British migrants in the late 19th century and the rise of postwar ethnic clubs, to the dismissiveness of the phrase “wog-ball” and the jubilation of the 2006 squad filled with first and second generation migrants, football and migrant communities have been inseparable bedfellows.
It is a link that remains just as strong today, with the Socceroos squad announced for the 2022 World Cup featuring players from Bosnian, Croatian, Turkish-Cypriot and South African backgrounds. And in a trio of players with South Sudanese backgrounds – Awer Mabil, Garang Kuol and Thomas Deng – the Socceroos have a new generation of diaspora players to reflect both changing face of the squad and of the country.
