To turn the Socceroos into World Cup contenders, we need to start with the junior game

By Wendy M Goff, Associate Professor Mathematics, Acting Head of the School of Education (Victoria) Australian Catholic University, Australian Catholic University

Australia had high hopes of an historic World Cup knockout round win after progressing through the group stage.

However, a painful Round of 32 exit, losing a penalty shootout to Egypt, raised familiar questions about the state of soccer in Australia.

These conversations generally centre on:

was the preparation leading up to the World Cup the…

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© The Conversation - Monday, July 20, 2026

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