in brief
- Australia's 26-man World Cup squad reflects at least 15 cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including four former refugees.
- On the eve of the tournament, the squad released a video celebrating many of the players' migrant roots.
As anti-migrant rhetoric intensifies in Australia, the Socceroos' diverse World Cup squad sends a powerful message to multicultural communities that they belong, migrant advocates say.
The team shocked the world defeating a higher-ranked Türkiye 2-0 on Sunday, with a stunning opening goal scored by 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda, a former refugee and the Socceroos' youngest ever World Cup scorer.
The diversity of Australia's 26-man squad — comprising at least 15 cultural and ethnic backgrounds — has become a focal point of the team's World Cup campaign, with players releasing a video celebrating their migrant roots on the eve of the tournament.
The players spoke about their diverse backgrounds and how they reflected modern Australia, while saying "football is for everyone".
"No matter where you come from, football is for everyone," each player said one by one.
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Socceroos veteran Awer Mabil, one of four former refugee players in the squad, reinforced that message on Wednesday with a simple statement to others forced to flee their homes: "We are with you."
Asked about the video, Mabil, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya to South Sudanese parents, said Australia's multiculturalism was what made it the "best country in the world".
"It's the best country in the world because of that: you have the whole world in one place and the Socceroos now is a representation of that, you have many different backgrounds representing one jersey," he said.
Migrant advocates say the team's diversity offers an important counterpoint to anti-migrant sentiment and political attacks on multiculturalism. A different kind of win.
"It sends a powerful message that African Australians belong and are an integral part of the Australian national story," African Australian Advocacy Centre founder Noël Yandamutso Zihabamwe told SBS News.
"It gives the communities a sense of pride, visibility, and recognition on one of the biggest sporting stages.
"Especially in this World Cup, it inspires younger people to believe that their background is a strength, not a barrier to achieving success."
Zihabamwe said his own children had jumped up and down with excitement when they saw the video.
"It shows the Socceroos are seen not as a football team but as a symbol of the diverse backgrounds that make up contemporary Australia," he said.
His comments come a day after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson argued multiculturalism had failed and Australia should become a "monocultural society".
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- When the Socceroos matches start
Peter Doukas, chair of the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia, rejected that view.
"Strength in our diversity is what we're seeing in the World Cup," he told SBS News.
"No one is questioning the loyalty of our Socceroos. No one is questioning their ability to represent us, and we hope that they go all the way.
"[It shows] refugees who came to Australia, not only contributing, but representing the country at the international stage."
'Football is for everyone'
On Wednesday, Mabil — who paused the press conference to thank SBS commentator David Basheer and reflect on the impact the network had on his journey — said he was not surprised the Socceroos' message about their diverse backgrounds had resonated with Australians.
"For me, it was an easy thing to do. And as players, also, we all have different stories, and it all came together.
"The reason why it went viral is because it was raw, it was not edited.
"It was just purely what the players wanted to say and all put together, and then it had an effect, because individually the Australians can feel and relate with it."
Professional Footballers Association chief executive Beau Busch told SBS News the video was about showing the Socceroos as a "force for good".
"We're seeing across the world right now significant attempts to divide people," he told SBS News.
"What the Socceroos were able to do was show a really strong message of unity, of care, of compassion, and we think that's incredibly powerful."
As they prepare to face the USA on Saturday morning Australian time, the Socceroos' impact off the pitch is being celebrated.
— With additional reporting by Mahnaz Angury.
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