This is SBS News’ World Cup Daily, The 90+ Podcast, where we bring you stories on and beyond the pitch, and I'm your host Haylena Krishnamoorthy. From unforgettable moments, key and emerging players, as well as match controversies, we’ll bring you the biggest talking points each day of the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026. Throughout the matches, you’ll hear perspectives from experts and fans, and take a deeper dive into the matches set to be watched by billions. Today we’ll be looking at Popovic's big calls as he reveals the Socceroos' squad, and the inclusion of Cristian Volpato and Tete Yengi.
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TRANSCRIPT
Hello and welcome to the World Cup Daily, The 90+.
And today, the wait is finally over.
"I think we have shown that we are not afraid to play the youngsters. Will they be better in four to eight years? Without a doubt. But that's not to say they are not good enough now."
Tony Popovic has named his 26-player Socceroos squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Just in time, as all 48-teams were given a deadline of the 1st of June to finalise their teams.
And as predicted, there are a couple of surprise inclusions..
..several notable omissions..
..and a clear indication of how he wants his team to approach the World Cup.
Over the next few minutes, we'll break down the squad,..
..and ask the question we're thinking about:
Can this group take Australia beyond the World Cup group stage?
Let's get into it.
The team that will face off against United States, Paraguay and Türkiye.
For most players, it will be their first World Cup..
...including this player's dramatic last-ditch switch of national eligibility from Italy to Australia.
"Look, he’s a very talented player, young player. So it’s another young player that is doing well in the Serie A, of course, with Sassuolo. Can be much better because he’s young, so there’s a lot of growth and potential still there, which pretty much sums up a lot of our players at the moment."
That's Tony Popovic talking about 22-year-old Cristian Volpato who was brought in late to the team.
And also four years after Volpato - who was born and raised in Sydney - declined to join the Socceroos..at an invitation from former coach Graham Arnold, for the 2022 Qatar World Cup tournament.
The other player to headline today's news in Popovic's decision is Japan's based striker Tete Yengi.
"I saw some games online of him playing in Scotland and we saw him, we were monitoring him, we wrote some notes on him and left it at that at that stage. Then he moved to Japan and we saw he was playing well, playing regularly for a very good club. Obviously challenging in the Champions League and challenging for the J League. Then I went to watch him personally, watch him play a game and he’s just stayed on our mind in terms of the profile that he has. It’s very different to anything that we have here in terms of his size and presence on the pitch."
Popovic says the six-foot-six player really improved and has got a lot of game time in the last four months.
This will be the Socceroos' sixth World Cup in a row..
..and only seven - including skipper Mat Ryan and veteran Mathew Leckie - of the 26 men picked have been to one before.
Unfortunate calls as for veteran Martin Boyle, defender Kye Rowles, forward Brandon Borrello and goalkeeper Joe Gauci who didn't make the cut this time.
Popovic's choices suggests he is willing to take calculated risks.
And that approach could define Australia's tournament.
"They're fearless. I'd like them to be more fearless than what they are. because, I think, sometimes, that comes with maturity and experience. That, when the pressure is on, they go in their shell a little bit. And then when they do two or three good actions, you can see them open up and relax and off they are themselves again."
If players like Volpato or Yengi make an impact...
..his decisions may be perceived as a chance worth taking.
If not, the scrutiny could be intense.
But that's the reality of football in general and the World Cup stage.
So - Tony Popovic has made a statement.
This is his squad.
His vision.
And his gamble.
He's backed youth in key areas, moved on from some familiar names, and chosen a group he believes can compete on the world stage.
The Socceroos will meet Türkiye for their first match on June 14, at 2pm AEST.
And we'll be back before the World Cup, with some special episodes of World Cup Daily The 90+ on what to expect from the biggest players in the tournament, and a dive into some of the controversies around competition.
For latest World Cup news, check out SBS News Headlines, wherever you get your podcasts.
All 104 World Cup matches will be shown live and free on SBS and streamed live via SBS On Demand.
