With the Socceroos having arrived home to Australia in recent days after their World Cup exit, we could not help but cast our mind forward to 2030.
The Round of 32 penalty shootout loss to Egypt still stings and it almost feels a bit cruel that this exciting, young Socceroos group must wait four years for a shot at redemption.
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The promising news for Australian fans is that barring injury or form, the majority of the squad that made it out of the group for the third time in Socceroos history will be in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, or maybe Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina depending on which group Australia are in.
Of course, the Socceroos will need to qualify for a seventh straight World Cup.
But with the new 48-team format and the fresh talent at Australia’s disposal, that should not be a question.
Goalkeeper Patrick Beach, defenders Lucas Herrington, Alessandro Circati and Jordy Bos, and forwards Nestory Irankunda and Cristian Volpato, who all started against Egypt, are all aged 23 or under.
It means those six plus the likes of 21-year-old midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler and 22-year-old striker Mohamed Toure would all be eligible to represent the Olyroos at the Olympic Games if this year was an Olympic year.
Irankunda, Herrington and Okon-Engstler will still be able to feature in the Under 23 competition – with the exception of three over-age players – in Los Angeles in two years’ time.
“I think we have the most exciting young squad that we’ve had in a number of years, since I can remember,” former Socceroo Tommy Oar told SBS.
“Maybe the Golden Generation players [from the 2006 World Cup] playing at very good clubs across the world, but also at the very start of their careers.”
That core group will no doubt benefit from their experiences in the United States and Canada this year.
Plus, some more young Australian stars should emerge by the end of the decade.
Socceroos manager Tony Popovic made it clear when he announcing his 26-man squad before the World Cup began that 2030 and 2034 should be marked on Australian calendars.
“Will they be better in four and eight years? Without a doubt,” he said.
Scroll down for our predicted 26-player Socceroos squad for the 2030 World Cup!
‘Those things keep going against us’ | 00:49
GOALKEEPERS
Patrick Beach, Joe Gauci, Steven Hall
After a breakout World Cup campaign, we are backing in Patrick Beach to be Australia’s long-term No.1.
Mat Ryan will surely do his best to make it to a record-breaking fifth World Cup, but at 38 years of age in 2030, it will be a big ask.
If he is to get there, Ryan may take inspiration from Cabo Verde’s 40-year-old Vozinha, who has been one of the heroes of the current World Cup.
Regardless, Beach looks like he is a bright future ahead of him in national colours.
The 22-year-old Melbourne City shot stopper will hopefully have had a few years playing in year off the back of his breakout tournament by the time the next World Cup rolls around.
We expect he will face competition for his place between the sticks from Joe Gauci and Steven Hall.
Gauci was fourth in Australia’s goalkeeping queue this time around as he was one of the last players cut from the pre-tournament training squad with Beach, Ryan and 31-year-old Paul Izzo chosen ahead of him.
The 26-year-old started in five of Australia’s World Cup qualifiers but fell out of favour as Ryan regained his place.
Gauci is on the books of English Premier League club Aston Villa but was most recently loaned to League One outfit Port Vale.
Hall, meanwhile, is also with a Premier League club in Brighton.
The 21-year-old has been playing for the Seagulls’ Under 21 side since 2024 and starred as the Young Socceroos won the Under 20 Asian Cup for the first time last year – Lucas Herrington and Paul Okon-Engstler also featured in that team.
Hall’s save in the penalty shootout of the final against Saudi Arabia came with a touching tribute his late grandfather and his heroics announced himself as a star on the rise.
Former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said in 2022 when Hall debuted for Adelaide United as a 16-year-old that “the kid’s got a big future”.
DEFENDERS
Harry Souttar, Alessandro Circati, Lucas Herrington, Jordy Bos, Jacob Italiano, Kai Trewin, Lewis Miller, James Overy, Dylan Leonard
A lot of familiar faces will likely return in 2030.
We are backing Harry Souttar to make it to a third World Cup as he is still only 27 years of age and for a second straight tournament was Australia’s best player – this time while wearing the captain’s armband.
Souttar has been linked with a move from Leicester City to Wrexham and hopefully the towering centre back can enjoy a clean bill of health for a few years after an injury interrupted lead-in to the tournament.
His fellow members of Australia’s back five at various time this tournament in Alessandro Circati, Lucas Herrington, Jordy Bos, Jacob Italiano and Kai Trewin are all tipped for another shot at the global tournament.
Italiano is the oldest of that bunch at 26, so they all have time on their side.
Hopefully, Circati, Herrington and Bos will make the big European club moves they have been touted for in the coming four years and enter the tournament having played regular minutes in the Champions League.
After his performances this World Cup, Bos may no longer be with the defenders’ group in four years time, however.
The Feyenoord star may follow the lead of the likes of Gareth Bale and move from a fullback to a winger.
What will be interesting in 2030 is how Australia chooses to set up tactically.
If Tony Popovic is still at the helm in four years time, he would be the first Socceroos manager to lead at multiple World Cups.
A new manager might be inclined to switch from a back five to a back four.
It is call that has been widespread throughout Popovic’s tenure as the Socceroos have been urged to play more on the front foot.
We expect that to happen as the squad matures and that is why we have chosen one less defender than Popovic did.
It would also mean one of Souttar, Circati and Herrington would have to be squeezed out of a central position.
The other contender we expect for one of those places by 2030 is Dylan Leonard.
The 18-year-old made his debut for German club Shalke 04 late last season after a campaign largely ruined by injuries.
However, he is now set to play in the Bundesliga after the club earned promotion to the top flight.
Leonard made 25 appearances for Western United in the 2024/25 season and has also captained the Young Socceroos.
The centre back may also offer the national team some flexibility as he can play as a defensive midfielder too.
Australia are also set to be bolstered in the wide positions.
Lewis Miller was one of the forgotten heartbreak stories of this World Cup as the 25-year-old ruptured his Achilles in February while playing for English Championship side Blackburn Rovers.
Miller was widely tipped to be Popovic’s starting right wing back, but we are backing him to make his World Cup debut in four years’ time.
He will have some tough competition from James Overy.
The 18-year-old, who plays for Manchester United’s youth teams, is clearly a highly rated prospect and hopefully will have a few years of senior club football under his belt by 2030.
MIDFIELDERS
Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler, Riley McGree, Alex Robertson, Cammy Devlin, Gianluca Okon-Engstler, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli
The starting midfield from Australia’s 2-0 victory against Türkiye should still be there in 2030.
Aiden O’Neill will be 32 years old then and we expect him to one of the leaders of the Australian squad after an impressive World Cup captain.
That role was filled by Jackson Irvine this time out, but the vice-captain will be 37 at the next World Cup, so we do not expect him to make it to the world’s biggest tournament for a fourth time.
Rising star Paul Okon-Engstler should be an almost certain starter as the 21-year-old cements himself further with a likely move from Sydney FC to Europe.
We are also backing Cammy Devlin to get to a third World Cup.
The 28-year-old did not play a single minute in Qatar or in the USA and Canada, but after almost pulling off the unthinkable in winning the Scottish Premiership with Hearts last season, he is in demand at club level.
More strong club performances would lead to Devlin providing another experienced option in the 2030 squad.
The comeback story of this group is Riley McGree.
The 27-year-old was the heartbreak story of this year’s World Cup for the Socceroos as he was injured during Middlesborough’s Championship playoff final loss to Hull at Wembley Stadium.
McGree had both his Premier League and his World Cup ambitions ruined with hamstring, but after being a key cog in the centre of the park under Graham Arnold in Qatar, we are backing him to make a second World Cup appearance.
Now, this is where the fun begins.
Alex Robertson was in this year’s pre-World Cup training camp in Florida but was cut by Tony Popovic.
The 23-year-old was part of the Cardiff City team that earned promotion to the Championship last season and has the chance to fulfil his potential after spending time in the youth academies at both Manchester United and Manchester City.
We are also anticipating a brother connection for the Socceroos with Gianluca Okon-Englster to join his sibling Paul in the squad.
The 17-year-old is currently playing in the reserve team for Belgium’s Club Brugge and has been tipped by many in Australian football circles to be better than his older brother.
Interestingly, Gianluca was a part of Italy’s Under 17 team that won the European Championships earlier this year.
But with his brother wearing the green and gold and his dad Paul Okon currently serving as an assistant coach to Popovic after captaining the Socceroos in his playing, surely there will not be an allegiance fight on Australia’s hands when it comes to Gianluca.
There will be with Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, however.
We are being ambitious by putting the 16-year-old in our predicted squad, but we may as well dare to dream.
The Sydney-born youngster has agreed to sign his first professional contract on his 17th birthday in January.
Having emerged from Chelsea’s academy where he began as a six-year-old, he will become part of the senior squad at Stamford Bridge next year and he comes with big wraps.
UK newspaper The Sun reported that Chelsea beat several European heavyweights to Nicoll-Jazuli’s signature, including Premier League champions Arsenal.
The report also stated that he is “widely regarded as the best player in his age group and plays with a style reminiscent of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham”.
Nicoll-Jazuli has represented England at youth level, but the youngster with an Australian mother and a Sudanese father is also being pursued by France.
Hopefully, Football Australia can work some magic and Nicoll-Jazuli, who last year became the youngest player ever to start for Chelsea in the UEFA Youth League, to don the green and gold.
FORWARDS
Nestory Irankunda, Cristian Volpato, Connor Metcalfe, Mohamed Toure, Antonio Arena, Daniel Bennie, Garang Kuol
Like in the other positions, we are expecting familiar faces to be back for a second World Cup campaign.
Nestory Irankunda will have hopefully played in the Premier League or one of Europe’s top leagues by 2030 given the big transfer rumours that surround the 20-year-old excitement machine.
Cristian Volpato committed to Australia on the eve of this World Cup and after several eye-catching performances on the right wing, the Socceroos will surely be locking him in for the long-term.
The elder statement of the attacking group we tip to be Connor Metcalfe after his incredibly reliable campaign on the left side of the pitch.
Metcalfe entered the squad as a midfield option but was redeployed in attack, and even though he may return to the middle of the park in club football – his future is uncertain right now after his German club St Pauli were relegated.
But we expect him to be a maintain of the Socceroos’ attack going forward.
The same goes for Mohamed Toure.
The 22-year-old took the English Championship by storm for Norwich after joining the Canaries in January, but failed to reach those heights in national colours.
An underwhelming campaign will not stop Toure from continuing to bang in goals at club level and he should have a big future for the Socceroos ahead.
Now, a bit like the midfield group, this where things get interesting.
Antonio Arena made headlines in January when the teenager scored with the first touch of his professional debut in the Coppa Italia for Roma.
The 17-year-old striker has represented both Australia and Italy at youth level, and the Socceroos could have another Volpato allegiance situation on their hands.
The youngster clearly boasts immense talent, however, and made Serie A appearances last season.
Arena is a tall striker who is still growing and as he matures with more senior matches under his belt, we expect him to usurp Tete Yengi in the pecking order.
Australia could also have an allegiance fight with Scotland over Daniel Bennie.
The Perth Glory product scored a banger of a first goal for Championship side Queen’s Park Rangers in February and has impressed for Australia’s youth teams as part of the team that won the U20 Asian Cup last year.
The winger also has the ability to play as a fullback, offering the squad flexibility, and at 20 years old he should remain on an upward trajectory.
Rounding out our predicted squad is what would be the feel-good story of this 26-man group.
We are tipping the rising star who so nearly equalised in the Round of 16 against Argentina four years ago, Garang Kuol, to re-emerge and once again appear at a World Cup for the Socceroos.
Kuol is remarkably still only 21 after debuting under Graham Arnold as a teenager.
He was bought by Premier League club Newcastle United off the back of his efforts in Qatar, but has struggled to make his mark in Europe across the last three years.
Kuol is currently with Sparta Prague in the Czech top division and helped the club secure a Champions League berth for the upcoming season.
He began to turn a corner last campaign, making his most appearances ever in a season at club level and we are tipping him to carry that momentum forward, and claw his way back into the national team.