Goals from striker Mitch Duke and midfielder Connor Metcalfe earned the Socceroos a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning and qualification for a sixth consecutive FIFA World Cup.
After their upset 1-0 win over Japan in Perth on Thursday, the Socceroos only needed to avoid defeat by less than five goals in Jeddah to seal automatic World Cup finals qualification for the first time in 12 years.
The result means Australia came second to Japan in Group C in Asian Football Confederation qualifying and avoided having to go to a fourth round of qualifiers.
Saudi forward Abdulrahman Al-Aboud scored in the 19th minute at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium to make things tense.
But Duke teed up Metcalfe to equalise in the 42nd minute, before putting Australia in front in the 48th.
In his 100th appearance, goalkeeper and captain Mat Ryan denied Salem Al-Dawsari from the penalty spot in the 84th minute.
'The dedication, the sacrifice'
After the match, Ryan praised the hard work of the team.
"It'd be nice if I could work out how to freeze time," Ryan said.
"You sit down together as a group and you work out how you can be successful," he said.
"The final moment where it comes — that feeling — that's why we keep going and going for moments like this, the dedication, the sacrifice."
Socceroos defender Milos Degenek (right) challenges Saudi Arabia's Feras Albrikan in their World Cup qualifier in Jeddah on Tuesday morning. Source: AP / .
"Very satisfying, right now. I'm sure it'll sink in as the days go by," Popovic said of the "very special" accomplishment.
"It's been a very intense period since I've joined and I've loved it so far.
"We've done the first part, qualifying automatically, and now the next part is to be bigger and better for the World Cup."
Exactly a year before the start of next year's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Australia (19 points, +9 goal difference) qualify in the second automatic spot behind Japan (23 points, +27) and ahead of Saudi Arabia (13 points, -1).
Popovic is unbeaten as national team coach since taking over from Arnold.
How did the Socceroos perform at the last five World Cups?
Australia first qualified for a World Cup in 1974, in West Germany, but failed to qualify from 1978 to 2002.
But they finally did in 2006, ending 32 years of heartache.
Here's a quick rundown of how the Socceroos performed at the previous five World Cups:
Germany 2006
Australia qualified by defeating Uruguay in a two-legged intercontinental playoff. After both teams won their home legs 1–0, the tie was decided by a penalty shootout, which Australia won 4–2.
In the tournament, the Socceroos advanced from the group stage for the first time, finishing second in their group to Brazil. They were eliminated after a 1–0 loss to Italy.
Socceroos striker John Aloisi celebrates scoring the penalty against Uruguay in Sydney in 2005 that sent Australia through to the 2006 World Cup. Source: AP / Mark Baker
South Africa 2010
Australia qualified directly by finishing at the top of their group in the AFC fourth round of qualifiers.
In the World Cup, they finished third in their group.
Credit: SBS News
Brazil 2014
The Socceroos secured qualification by finishing second in their AFC fourth-round group, behind Japan.
In the tournament, Australia was drawn into a challenging group with Spain, the Netherlands and Chile. They lost all three matches and were eliminated in the group stage.
Russia 2018
Australia's path to qualification involved finishing third in their AFC third-round group, playing off against Syria and then Honduras in the intercontinental playoff.
At the World Cup, the Socceroos finished fourth in their group, with one draw and two losses, exiting in the group stage.
Qatar 2022
Australia finished third in their AFC third-round group, leading to a playoff against the United Arab Emirates, which they won 2–1. They then faced Peru in an intercontinental playoff, winning 5–4 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.
In the tournament, Australia advanced to the Round 16 after finishing second in their group.
They were eliminated after a 2–1 loss to Argentina.
Which other countries have qualified for the 2026 World Cup so far?
Canada, Mexico and the United States have automatically qualified as the joint hosts of the 48-team tournament.
This will be the first time that Canada has ever reached back-to-back tournaments, after it qualified in 2022.
Japan's Samurai Blue will compete in their eighth successive World Cup, along with Iran, New Zealand and Argentina.
Uzbekistan reached their first World Cup after securing a top-two finish in the third round of Asian qualifiers, and have been joined by Korea Republic and Jordan.
Countries aiming to qualify for the tournament play games in their confederations, which cover Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, North and Central America and Oceania.
Socceroos midfielder Aaron Mooy challenges Argentina's Lionel Messi during their Round of 16 match at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Australia lost 2-1 and Argentina went on to win the tournament. Source: Getty / Alex Grimm
When and where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 2026 tournament will be the biggest yet, after FIFA increased the number of competing teams from 32.
Matches will be held across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States, with the tournament kicking off in June 2026.
— with additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.
You can watch all 104 games of the FIFA World Cup 2026 LIVE on SBS and SBS VICELAND.
