Former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday after a trophy-laden career.
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The 36-year-old spent 16 years at Spanish giants Madrid, winning six La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies.
“At 18, Real Madrid came knocking on my door and I arrived here,” Marcelo said in a video posted on social media. “Now, I can proudly say that I am a true ‘Madrileno’.
“What a journey. Real Madrid is a unique club.” Marcelo enjoyed a strong relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, lifting four Champions Leagues with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The pair both scored in the 2014 final victory over Atletico Madrid when Real ended a 12-year wait for their 10th European Cup.
“My brother, what an incredible career! We have lived a lot together, it has been years of achievements, victories and unforgettable moments,” Ronaldo said in a post on Instagram.
“More than a teammate, a partner for life.” Marcelo also won the Copa del Rey twice and the Club World Cup four times during his time with Los Blancos, for whom he made 546 appearances, scoring 38 goals.
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“One of the greatest left-backs in Real Madrid and world football history, and we had the privilege of watching him for a long time,” said Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in a statement.
“He is one of our greatest legends and Real Madrid is and always will be his home.” Marcelo was an unused substitute in the 2022 Champions League final when his compatriot Vinicius Junior scored the only goal against Liverpool.
“Thank you for your advice, for your reprimands, for the time spent by your side,” said Vinicius on social media.
“We were victorious on the field and we are friends off it.” Marcelo made 58 appearances for the Brazil national team, playing at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and winning the 2013 Confederations Cup.
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He was part of the teams that won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and bronze in Beijing in 2008.
“Playing for my country since the youth categories has also been a great honour,” he said.
“In my memory I will always cherish two Olympic medals and a Confederations Cup.” Marcelo started his career with Brazilian club Fluminense before leaving for Real.
When he finally left the Santiago Bernabeu he joined Greek club Olympiakos but terminated his contract after just five months to rejoin Fluminense.
Marcelo helped his home team win the Copa Libertadores for the first time with victory over Boca Juniors in the 2023 final.
He left the club by mutual consent last November and has not played since.
Waddingham, who only completed his transfer to Portsmouth from the Brisbane Roar last week, came off the bench in the 57th minute and slammed one home from close range in the third minute of added time as Pompey slumped to a 5-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion.
“I’m really pleased for him,” Portsmouth coach John Mousinho said after the game.
“For him to come on and make an impact so quickly, I think he’ll be absolutely thrilled.
“To get a taste of the level as well is probably a really, really important thing.
“He probably could’ve had a couple and, yeah, he took his goal well.”
The goal continues the 19-year-old’s incredible rise after he found the back of the net 15 times in 40 appearances for the Roar across the A-League and Australia Cup before Portsmouth came calling. Waddingham, a product of the Roar’s NPL program, only made his debut for Brisbane in August of 2023.
While it’s still early days for Waddingham in England, the fact the forward was not only included in a matchday squad so soon after his arrival but also got on the field for just over half an hour, speaks volumes about the regard in which he is held at Fratton Park.
The speed with which the Cairns born product has been thrown into the first team, while still a teenager, is slightly unusual for Australian players making their way to the second-tier Championship.
If he’s able to continue to feature for Portsmouth it could provide a somewhat unlikely answer to one of the most pressing questions facing Socceroos coach Tony Popovic ahead of two crucial World Cup qualifiers in March against Indonesia and China.
Popovic lacks depth in the striking role with Kusini Yengi, who is also on the books of Portsmouth, not expected back from a knee injury until late February, 34-year-old Mitch Duke scoring just three-times in 20-games in green and gold since the start of 2023 and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos continuing to struggle with a calf injury after a rich run of form at Motherwell in Scotland. 31-year-old Adam Taggart is trying to make a late run with three goals in his last six games for Perth Glory.
Even if Yengi is integrated straight back in Portsmouth’s first team following the completion of his rehabilitation, he’ll still be a little short of match fitness ahead of the clash with Patrick Kluivert’s Indonesia in Sydney on March 20. It leaves the door ajar for a new name.
In an expansive interview with reporters last week Popovic laid bare what it would take for players like Waddingham to thrive after making the move to Europe.
“Physically the demands are extremely high and what you do one day in training; that’s expected every single day and if you can do that, well then you can make the jump,” Popovic said.
The Socceroos boss is currently keeping an eye on a talented crop of young strikers, including Archie Goodwin, Jed Drew and Noah Botic, who are turning in impressive performances in the A-League, but Waddingham could pull away from the trio in the pecking order with a big few weeks.
“Now the question is, in three or four years’ time, can we be watching one of them playing in the bigger leagues in Europe? That is the question,” Popovic said when asked about Goodwin, Drew and Botic.
“Can they take their game to another level? The level they are at now is not good enough to play in Europe. That’s just the reality.”
Waddingham has shown his level is good enough to play in Europe and if he can back it up then he would’ve formed a strong case for a call-up to the Socceroos.
Souttar suffered the injury in the final moments of Sheffield United’s 2-0 loss to Burnley in the Championship on Friday morning (AEDT).
The 26-year-old was sent for scans which confirmed the worst.
The incident occurred after Souttar took a heavy touch and lunged to clear the ball. It was immediately clear he was in discomfort and had to be helped off the pitch at Bramall Lane.
“He is absolutely gutted,” Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield after their 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Monday morning.
“Devastated for him, he loved it here.
“He has been a great player to work with; great personality, great character.
“Big disappointment to lose the big fella because he has been incredible.”
Sheffield United and Australia’s Harry Souttar.Source: Getty Images
It is the second serious injury setback for the towering centre back in three years. In November 2021, Souttar ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee during a World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia in Sydney.
Remarkably, he returned to action with former club Stoke City just before the World Cup in Qatar 12-months later, playing a starring role as the Socceroos stunned the world with a run to the round of sixteen.
“Thanks to everyone at Sheffield United,” Souttar said on his Instagram account.
“Amazing club with great people.
“Unfortunately, that’s me out for a while but I wish everyone at the club all the best for the rest of the season and beyond.
“Once a blade always a blade.”
This latest injury is a cruel blow. Souttar moved to Sheffield United on loan after struggling for game time at Premier League battlers Leicester City.
Wilder had placed significant trust in the 6-foot-7-inch centre-half, with Souttar starting 21 of Sheffield United’s 23 matches in the second-tier Championship before his injury.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia
His absence also creates a significant headache for Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.
With four crucial matches remaining in the third round of World Cup qualifying, the Socceroos currently sit second in Group C. Maintaining that position will secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The Socceroos face Indonesia in Sydney in March before an away game against China five days later. A clash with current group leaders Japanin Perth and a trip to face regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia awaits in June.
Popovic will now have to fill a Souttar sized hole in the heart of his defence for all those fixtures.
He’s also unable to call on 21-year-old centre back Alessandro Circati, who ruptured his ACL during a training session with Italian Serie A side Parma in late September.
It leaves Cameron Burgess, Kye Rowles and Hayden Matthews as the most likely options moving forward for Popovic.
Burgess is starting regularly for Ipswich Town in the Premier League while Rowles is doing the same with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.
However, both are left-footers and it remains to be seen how that could impact any potential partnership.
Kye Rowles celebrates scoring a goal against Lebanon with Jackson Irvine.Source: Getty Images
Matthews is right-footed and continues to grow in stature at Sydney FC.
The 20-year-old only signed his first professional contract earlier this year, but Popovic not only handed Matthews his Socceroos debut during the last international window in November but named him in the starting side in their last start 2-2 draw with Bahrain.
Souttar will be desperately hoping the Australians can navigate the next four fixtures and secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup.
Even a 12-month recovery should see him back on the park with six months to go before the tournament gets underway.
The defender has left Sheffield and headed back to Leicester to start rehabilitation.
He is contracted to the Foxes until the end of the 2028 season giving him time to rebuild his career once back to full fitness.
FIFA will on Thursday (AEDT) confirm the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups and the outrage has begun before the result is even made official.
A joint bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal is set to be awarded the 2030 hosting rights, while, Saudi Arabia has been a controversial choice to host the event in 2034.
The awarding of hosting rights for both tournaments will go to a vote during a FIFA Congress to be held virtually, but there is no doubt about the outcomes with neither bid having a rival.
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Saudi Arabia’s bid for 2034 was boosted heavily as FIFA invoked its principle of continental rotation, therefore only welcoming bids from Asia or Oceania.
Controversially, the body gave potential bidders barely a month late last year to submit candidacies, and Australia and Indonesia quickly abandoned their interest.
That left Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate, clearing the way for the World Cup to return to the Gulf region following Qatar’s hosting in 2022.
FIFA also linked the 2030 and 2034 votes together meaning European nations who would otherwise object to the Saudi event would be forced to vote against the Morocco, Spain and Portugal tournament – which they won’t.
The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been using sport for some time now to amass influence and improve its global image.
Being handed the 2034 World Cup will be a crowning moment, and Saudi will win despite currently only boasting two stadiums with a capacity of 40,000, when a minimum of 14 are required.
FIFA seems desperate for a fight.Source: Supplied
The centre pieces of the bid were a stadium that will be built at the $1 trillion mega-city of Neom and a 92,000 seat venue to be called King Salman Stadium in Riyadh.
Beyond that logistical challenge, the baking temperatures in the northern hemisphere summer could mean pushing the tournament back to later in the year, as happened in 2022.
However, the fact that Ramadan will take place in December that year is an added complication.
Moreover, the awarding of the World Cup to Saudi will make the issue of human rights a major talking point again, just as in 2022.
Rights groups highlight mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country’s male guardianship system. Free expression is severely restricted too.
Saudi Arabia, which is hosting several high-profile events including Formula One and the WTA Finals tennis, is often accused of “sportswashing” — using sport to divert attention from its rights record.
The push back has already begun.
Norway’s soccer federation plans to abstain from giving its approval when the vote is formalised, AP reports.
“FIFA’s own guidelines for human rights and due diligence have also not been adequately integrated into the process, increasing the risk of human rights violations,” Norway federation president Lise Klaveness said in a statement Tuesday.
Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of labour rights and sport, said in a recent statement: “There will be a real and predictable human cost to awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without obtaining credible guarantees of reform.
The King Salman Stadium will be completed in 2029.Source: SuppliedThe Marrakesh Stadium in Morocco has a long way to go. Photo by AFP.Source: AFP
“Fans will face discrimination. Migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die.
“FIFA must halt the process until proper human rights protections are in place to avoid worsening an already dire situation.”
He earlier said: “As expected, FIFA’s evaluation of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid is an astonishing whitewash of the country’s atrocious human rights record.
“There are no meaningful commitments that will prevent workers from being exploited, residents from being evicted or activists from being arrested.
“By ignoring the clear evidence of severe human rights risks, FIFA is likely to bear much responsibility for the violations and abuses that will take place over the coming decade.
“Fundamental human rights reforms are urgently required in Saudi Arabia, or the 2034 World Cup will be inevitably tarnished by exploitation, discrimination and repression.”
The 2030 tournament, meanwhile, will mark a century since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay, and as a result the bid will also see the South American nation handed a game along with Argentina and Paraguay.
That makes it a remarkable and completely unprecedented bid, involving three different continental confederations.
FIFA already confirmed over a year ago that the joint proposal led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal was the sole contender for 2030, with all other potential candidacies having fallen by the wayside.
The Stade de Hassan will be the biggest football stadium in the world with 115,000 capacity.Source: Supplied
A joint British and Irish bid was abandoned when they decided to focus on hosting Euro 2028, while there were suggestions of a bid from South Korea, China, Japan and North Korea.
Four South American countries launched a joint bid in 2019, convinced that the centenary World Cup should entirely take place on the same continent where it all began.
In late 2022, UEFA promoted a bid uniting Spain and Portugal with war-torn Ukraine in a show of “solidarity” following the Russian invasion.
However, Ukraine was quietly dropped from that candidacy last year as Morocco joined forces with the Iberian neighbours, while South America agreed to step aside in exchange for being awarded the hosting of three games, one each for Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.
Following these “centenary celebrations” in the comparative chill of the southern hemisphere winter, the six teams involved — along with their fans — will have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to play a part in the remaining 101 matches.
This tentacular tournament will conclude with the final on July 21, and it remains to be seen where that game will be staged.
Spain, which hosted the 1982 World Cup, is set to be the centrepiece as it boasts 11 of the 20 proposed stadiums.
Morocco — which has tried and failed on five previous occasions to be awarded the staging of the tournament — will become the second African nation to host the competition after South Africa in 2010.
Potential venues for the final include the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and Barcelona’s renovated Camp Nou, as well as the planned Hassan II stadium between Casablanca and Rabat, which is set to become “the biggest stadium in the world” with a capacity of 115,000.
Portugal, which hosted Euro 2004, will offer two stadiums in Lisbon and one in Porto, and hopes to stage a semi-final.
Results from the two games against the South American champions and the pair of fixtures against Chinese Taipei were both everything and, at the same time, completely irrelevant compared to other objectives.
Impressive crowds followed the team from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and on to Victoria and winning for those who paid their hard-earned money will always be the goal. However, with continental and global silverware up for grabs over the next two and a half years, those games will be the last where player selections, formations and form won’t be scrutinised heavily for some time.
Stylish Tillies crush Chinese Taipei | 03:08
THE SELL OUT CROWD STREAK
The Matildas streak of selling out stadiums on home soil stopped at 16.
47,501 packed into Suncorp Stadium and 25,297 rocked up on the Gold Coast for the games against Brazil.
The 26,795 in attendance at AAMI Park in Melbourne for the first match against Chinese Taipei fell just shy of ensuring the house full sign went up.
The teams who featured on the sellout list make the length of the streak even more impressive.
It started with 50,629 packing into Marvel Stadium for the last fixture the side played before the Women’s World Cup, against France, in 2023.
By the time the full-time whistle went in their third-placed play-off defeat to Sweden in Brisbane the streak sat at eight.
The wave of enthusiasm didn’t wane after the World Cup.
59,155 were at Optus Stadium in Perth for an Olympic qualifier against the Philippines. That fixture was wedged either side of sellouts at HBF Park against Iran and Chinese Taipei.
54,120 against Uzbekistan at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne saw them seal qualification for the games in Paris while 76,798 were in attendance at Accor Stadium in Sydney for a clash with China. It doubled as a farewell match for the side prior to the ill-fated Olympic campaign and veteran goalkeeper Lydia Williams’ final game on home soil before retirement.
That figure is almost unheard of for a Monday night in Sydney and it came off the back of 52,912 at Adelaide Oval for the first game against China.
Those are remarkable numbers.
THE COACH SEARCH
When will Football Australia settle on Tony Gustavsson’s replacement as Matildas coach?
All the governing body will confirm is that the search is ongoing.
It’s been ongoing since August and is likely to continue into 2025.
There are six international windows next year as the side prepares for the Asian Cup on home soil in March of 2026. The side will head to America in the first of those windows in February for the SheBelieves Cup. They’ll take on Japan, the USA and Colombia and it’s unclear, at this stage, if the search for a coach would’ve concluded by then.
Players, former players and pundits have all aired their opinions over the last few weeks on the qualities the new coach should possess.
The man currently filling the void, Tom Sermanni, also had some thoughts.
“Somebody young,” the 70-year-old quipped when asked.
“Ideally its someone that has to be here; that has to be invested in the game here, that has to take greater responsibility than just a one singular national team.
“That would be the ideal role.”
That would require any foreign candidate to relocate and immerse themselves in pathways programs.
In the meantime, Sermanni has turned his attention to the SheBelieves Cup.
“I’m in here as a coach. I haven’t thought about it as if I’m just here in the interim. What I’ve tried to do is do what I would’ve done had I come in here under a two, three or a four-year contract.”
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THE YOUNG AND THE RETURNING
The experience of Sermanni – this is his third stint as coach of the Matildas – perhaps explains why Football Australia feel like they’ve got time to settle on the right coaching candidate.
He’s already set about building depth in the squad. Sermanni created headlines – something the affable Scot is not prone to doing – by saying depth building was something the program hadn’t done well enough. It was seen as a shot at Gustavsson and was widely reported as such. He was at pains to clarify on Friday that he meant it was a decade old problem that Football Australia needs to address.
Either way, it’s a valid point on the road to the Asian Cup and World Cup.
His solution, so far, has been to not just name generation next in the squad, but actually give them game time.
Bryleeh Henry, Daniela Galic, Winonah Heatley, Sharn Freier, Natasha Prior and Leah Davidson all got minutes at stages, and none looked out of place at international level.
Freier is the most established of those players and looks increasingly dangerous with every appearance.
“I think the first thing that we learned is that some players have come in and really stepped up to the level that we’re playing at,” Sermanni said.
“We actually have some talent around that we need to try to utilise a little bit better.”
More established players like Emily Gielnik, Chloe Logarzo and Remy Siemsen, who missed the profile boom of World Cup induced Matildas-mania, have also returned to the fold.
A mix of the young and the returning will be required for the side to get its hands on silverware.
CLARITY ON SAM KERR
Sam Kerr has been sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury since suffering the setback at a Chelsea training camp in January.
Hard details around her recovery have been difficult to come by since.
Now, new Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor has provided a ballpark timeframe for Kerr’s return.
“We are looking to have her back with us in February, March, not before that,” Bompastor said.
“She didn’t start yet to train, even being modified with the group, so she’s still on her individual process rehab and I think it will take at least two or three more months for her to be fit enough to be with the squad.”
That means the SheBelieves Cup will, most likely, come too soon and Chelsea would surely hold reservations about Kerr departing for international duty if she was only just back on the park.
Having Kerr fit and firing for the Asian Cup in 2026 and the World Cup in 2027 must be the goal after an injury interrupted run at the last edition before missing the Olympics in Paris completely.
Tillies snap losing streak with 3-1 win | 01:34
THE HARDEST MOMENT TO WATCH
Chloe Logarzo made her first appearance for the Matildas since October 2022 in the game at AAMI Park against Chinese Taipei.
After a lively first half-hour spent cleverly linking up with the strike pairing of Emily Gielnik and Michelle Heyman, a head clash while competing for a ball saw her night come to an end.
The next day she was ruled out of the second match in Geelong.
“She has got the old egg on the side of her head at the moment,” Sermanni said after the AAMI Park game.
“She is devastated at having to go off. She waited quite a long time to get back in the team.”
It’s not hard to understand why Logarzo was pleading for the medical staff to let her continue.
The 29-year-old has had a horror run with injuries.
The midfielder tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee during a friendly against Ireland in September of 2021.
Issues with her foot followed the completion of rehabilitation on her knee.
Logarzo wasn’t fit enough for the World Cup and turned television pundit for the tournament instead.
The Western United star will be desperate to be on the pitch instead of in a TV studio when the Asian Cup rolls around.
The tears that followed her substitution in Melbourne were a raw and honest expression of how cruel professional sport can be.
THE BEST MOMENT OF THE FOUR MATCHES
Clare Polkinghorne take a bow.
You know you’ve made it when you enter the Australian consciousness just by your nickname.
“Polks” got a celebration game against Brazil in-front of family and friends in her home state in Queensland and then a farewell game against Chinese Taipei in Geelong.
The defender made her international debut in 2006 against China in Shanghai as a 16-year-old and went on to be picked for five World Cups, five Asian Cups and three Olympic Games.
The 35-year-old exits the game with 169 appearances for the Matildas to her name that saw her go from playing in-front of small crowds to selling out stadiums.
Socceroos striker Kusini Yengi is awaiting scan results after missing Portsmouth’s 2-2 draw with Swansea in the Championship with a knee injury.
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Portsmouth claim Yengi suffered the injury while on international duty with Australia over the last fortnight.
“He picked up an injury during the game when Australia played Bahrain,” Portsmouth manager John Mousinho said prior to his sides latest outing.
It’s unclear at this stage how bad the injury is or how long Yengi will be sidelined for.
The revelation comes as a slight shock given the 25-year-old played the entirety of the contest in Riffa and scored both goals, as it finished 2-2.
Mousinho said Yengi picked up the injury “just before half-time.”
“His knee was slightly swollen,” Mousinho added.
“He was scanned on Friday afternoon. So, we’re just awaiting the final scan results and for him to see a specialist.
“With knees, ankles and hips we’re always really wary.”
It has been a stop-start season for the forward.
He missed Pompey’s first two matches of the Championship campaign with a groin injury before being sidelined just two games into his comeback for a further five fixtures with the same complaint.
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Yengi had just come off a run of six games in four weeks prior to linking up with the Socceroos in Melbourne.
He came on as a late substitute in a scoreless draw with Saudi Arabia in the Victorian capital before the side flew out to Bahrain.
“Any injury is frustrating for us,” Mousinho said.
“People do pick up injuries on international breaks. It’s probably one of the reasons why certain players don’t necessarily want to go on international duty.
“We’re not one of those clubs. I want players to go away and play and represent their countries and I think it’s a really proud moment for anybody connected with Portsmouth when they do that.
“It does come with a slight risk and unfortunately (Kusini) has ended up picking up an injury.”
Any absence isn’t of immediate concern for the Socceroos.
Roar & Macarthur duel ends in 4-4 draw | 02:04
Tony Popovic’s side isn’t back in action until they face Indonesia and China in two must-win World Cup qualifiers in March.
While Yengi has made a bright start to life for the national team, scoring six goals in 11 games, the interrupted nature of his season has impacted his output for Portsmouth. He’s yet to find the back of the net in the Championship after scoring 13-goals in 31 appearances in all competitions last season, while they were in League One, following a move from the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League.
A stoppage-time equaliser from Kusini Yengi has saved the Socceroos from complete disaster in Riffa against Bahrain.
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Socceroos score in 38 seconds! | 00:29
Leading 1-0 deep into the second-half, the Australians conceded twice in the space of two minutes through a brace from Bahrain substitute Mahdi Abduljabbar before Yengi’s second goal of the contest ensured the FIFA World Cup qualifier finished in a 2-2 draw.
The point moved the Socceroos into second spot, nine points behind Group C leaders Japan, in the third-round of AFC World Cup qualifiers.
However, second place, which brings with it automatic qualification to the 2026 World remains well and truly up for grabs, with four teams – Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China – only one point behind Australia.
While the draw was better than nothing, the Socceroos should have put the game to bed before Bahrain’s second-half fightback.
The visitors made a dream start, going ahead inside the first minute through Yengi,
Called into the starting side at the expense of veteran marksman Mitch Duke, Yengi pounced on a weak back pass from Bahrain defender Sayed Baqer before rounding goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla and guiding the ball into the back of the net.
Australia’s forward #9 Kusini Yengi shoots to score his team’s first goal past Bahrain’s goalkeeper #22 Ebrahim Lutfalla during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group C football match between Bahrain and Australia at Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP)Source: AFP
Yengi should have doubled Australia’s lead in the 24th minute after being fed by midfielder Riley McGree but he was foiled by Lutfalla.
Chances continued to fall Yengi’s way, with the woodwork denying the Portsmouth striker on the hour mark,
A poor first-touch soon after proved costly for Yengi when he had another good opportunity to increase Australia’s lead.
Concerns grow for Socceroos after escape | 04:44
Bahrain then had a chance to equaliser in the 64th-minute but Ebrahim Al-Khatal’s goal-bound shot was well blocked by Socceroos defender Cameron Burgess.
However, the Bahrainis found an equaliser in the 75th minute through a spectacular 40-metre effort from Abduljabbar.
The midfielder pounced on defender Burgess’ clumsy attempt to control a long ball with a speculative strike that caught recalled goalkeeper Mat Ryan off his line as it sailed into the back of the net.
Kusini Yengi slides the ball past Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla to give Australia the lead. Picture: Christopher Pike/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Worse to follow in the 77th minute when Abduljabbar netted from close range after a cross from Mahdi Al-Humaidan was deflected on to the post by debutant Socceroos defender Hayden Matthews.
Abduljabbar was first to the rebound, with his second of the contest putting Australia on the brink of disaster.
However, Yengi’s late goal from close range ensured the points were shared.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic made six changes to the side that started in last Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia in Melbourne
Captain and goalkeeper Ryan started for the first time since September’s departure of former coach Graham Arnold, replacing Joe Gauci, who had been the Socceroos’ gloveman in the first three games of Tony Popovic’s reign as national boss.
Sydney FC’s 20-year-old defender Matthews was given his Socceroos debut, coming into the side for Melbourne Victory’s Jason Geria.
Matthews’ Sydney teammate Anthony Caceres, who made his maiden national team appearance off the bench last week, also started, being preferred to Belgium-based midfielder Aiden O’Neill.
Melbourne City skipper Aziz Behich was another of the squad’s A-League brigade given a start, with former City left-back Jordy Bos dropping back to the bench.
Further forward, Craig Goodwin returned from suspension to displace Ajdin Hrustic from the starting side, while Portsmouth attacker Yengi was given the nod at the expense of Duke.
Well, that was surprising. Tony Popovic’s 26-player squad to face Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in two crucial World Cup qualifiers over the next fortnight has dismantled the status quo.
The family, as the squad and environment were so often described under former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, has been broken up and, in its place, sits an eclectic mix of new faces and ones that seemed to be surplus to requirements.
Others, meanwhile, are completely missing through their own choosing; as is the case with Cardiff City midfielder Alex Robertson, or have been excluded, where they were previously part of the furniture.
Popovic, after taking on the role just weeks before the last international window in October, said he wanted to ensure that nobody felt they had a right to a Socceroos jersey. With this squad he has done just that and perhaps the biggest story surrounds three players who won’t feature in Melbourne and Bahrain this month.
Atletico steal victory with last kick | 00:33
THE MISSING PLAYERS
Alex Robertson
When Alex Robertson made his debut for Australia in a friendly against Ecuador in March last year, it seemed like the next 100-cap Socceroo had been discovered.
The midfielder, who is now on the books of Championship side Cardiff City, is one of those players blessed with both tactical and technical skill in abundance and it appeared as though the battle for his allegiance was won.
After all, with his father Mark and grandfather, also named Alexander, in the stands in Sydney that night, he became a third-generation Socceroo.
Mark represented Australia in 2001 and Alexander in the mid 1980s.
But Robertson is also eligible to represent Scotland, England and Peru through birth, residence and family.
After playing his junior football in Sydney, Robertson made the move to the UK as a teenager and represented England at youth level.
The 21-year-old hasn’t featured for Australia since a 2-nil friendly defeat to Argentina in Beijing in June last year and whether he adds to his two caps is now up in the air.
Last month, Robertson’s absence from the squad for games against China and Japan was explained as a paperwork issue with FIFA that hadn’t been resolved yet.
Now, it seems, Football Australia has done everything it can to resolve the matter.
“That sits in his hands now,” Popovic said after unveiling his squad in Melbourne.
“If he wants to play for the Socceroos, he needs to make himself available.
“It’s an Alex decision on what he wants to do.
“If he wants to make himself available for the Socceroos then we can look at whether we select him, but at the moment we don’t have that option.
“You have to respect the shirt, the badge; you have to respect the honour of playing for the Socceroos and we also have to respect the fact that everyone can make their own choice.
“Right now, his decision is not to make himself available.”
It’s a measure of Robertson’s immense talent that Popovic went on to say that the door hasn’t been closed because of this latest development, but fans who have long called for his inclusion in green and gold, at least now have some clarity on the matter.
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Nestory Irankunda
The other big name missing from the squad list was that of Nestory Irankunda.
The 18-year-old, who swapped Adelaide United for Bayern Munich in the off-season, has made a positive start to his time at the German powerhouse.
The winger has been scoring for both Bayern II in the Regionalliga and also in the UEFA Youth League, but his output at international level has been mixed.
He looked lively and dangerous in the last fixtures of the Graham Arnold era, but struggled in his first match under Popovic, when handed a starting role against China in Adelaide last month and then didn’t feature against Japan.
Nestory Irankunda of Australia controls the ball during the round three 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Asian Qualifier match between Australia Socceroos and Bahrain at Robina Stadium on September 05, 2024 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Popovic’s system, where the wingers play a more inverted role, doesn’t seem to suit the teenager. He’s more comfortable wider on the right, and so far, that is at odds with Popovic’s preferred tactical set-up.
“It’s just a selection decision,” Popovic said.
“We know he’s a young man with a lot of potential, who is signed at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“We just feel it is an opportunity for him to settle in at Bayern and get the development that he needs there and the growth.
“We still hope that we really see this potential moving forward from him in the national team in years to come.”
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Keanu Baccus
It won’t be a major headline, but the decision not to call-up Keanu Baccus is still notable.
The combative, deeper lying midfielder, was a mainstay under Arnold, who shot to prominence at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 while locked in a fierce battle with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in a heart stopping round of 16 defeat in Doha.
Under Popovic, Baccus has only seen 10-minutes of action, and that was in a largely unfamiliar right-back role against Japan, in the 1-1 draw in Saitama.
The new coach has plenty of options in central midfield too in the form of Jackson Irvine, Aiden O’Neill, Max Balard, Anthony Caceres and Patrick Yazbek.
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THE NEW PLAYERS
Anthony Caceres
Anthony Caceres has often been referred to as the best player never to represent Australia at any level.
Now 32, it appeared the chance of the Sydney FC midfielder shedding that tag was slim, but the door has finally opened.
Caceres seems perfectly suited to Popovic’s system where those further forward are required to be comfortable and make good decisions in extremely tight spaces.
In fact, he’s done just that his whole career.
There was a school of thought over the years that while Caceres was technically gifted, he lacked a killer edge in the final third.
But with three goals, 10 assists and 13 goal involvements to his name last season, those concerns have been allayed, if Popovic ever had them at all.
“He’s been a player that I’ve admired for a very long time,” said Popovic.
“He deserves his chance.
“Every coach has their ideas and this is his chance now.
Max Balard
It’s perhaps the ultimate compliment, that after moving from the Central Coast Mariners to Dutch Eredivisie side NAC Breda this season, the local media in the Netherlands quickly dubbed the 23-year-old the ‘Australian Kante.’
It’s a nod to former Leicester City and Chelsea star N’Golo Kante, now playing for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, who is one of the finest ball-winning midfielders of his generation.
Balard missed selection for last month’s window, but should now get the chance to shine, after proving to Australia’s new coaching staff that he can be just as damaging with his range of passing as well.
“He’s had some very good performances this year,” Popovic said.
“We’ve been monitoring him prior to the last camp, but I think in the last month, his game has become more consistent; more balanced in his play, with and without the ball.”
Hayden Matthews
The 20-year-old Sydney FC central defender only signed his first professional contract in January this year and has now earned his maiden international call-up.
At 195 centimetres, he is a towering figure, and although on the surface, it looks like Matthews has been included to get some experience in an extended 26-player squad, it’s interesting that he’s on the radar of the national team boss so early in his career.
Keanu Baccus did not find himself in Popovic’s squad. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE RETURNING PLAYERS
Rhyan Grant
The last time Rhyan Grant featured for the Socceroos was in a third round World Cup qualifying defeat to Japan in Sydney in 2022.
The tireless right-back has seen a long list of players cycle through that position in an Australian shirt since then, but never in his wildest dreams did the Sydney FC captain think he’d be considered again.
“I honestly didn’t see this coming, but I’m absolutely delighted,” Grant said.
The 33-year-old, who has 21-caps to his name, thought his time had passed, and stressed that point whenever the topic of a recall to international football surfaced, but could well be the answer to the problematic position again.
Brandon Borrello
The search for a striker who can score on a consistent basis is just as puzzling as the absence of an established right back.
Brandon Borrello will fight for minutes alongside Mitch Duke and Kusini Yengi.
The Western Sydney Wanderers quarter-final exit at the hands of Adelaide United in the Australia Cup left the forward short of minutes for the October window, but with 266-minutes and two goals from three games under his belt in the A-League this season, he’s moved back up the pecking order.
Milos Degenek
Few people are more passionate about the Socceroos jersey than Milos Degenek.
In an extraordinary interview at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 he offered an insight into the mentality he takes into games.
“The lion mentality is, you either eat or you get eaten, and that’s the simplest way to put it,” Degenek said at the time.
“I used this term before the Peru game with the boys, I said ‘there’s bread on the table’.
“Either we eat tonight; my kids, my wife and my family eats tonight, or they eat and my kids go home to sleep hungry and my wife as well – and I don’t want that to happen.”
Degenek has missed most of 2024 due to injury but is back on the park and played in FK Crvena zvezda’s first round Serbian Cup game just over a week ago.
The 30-year-old, who can play as a central defender or right-back, adds versatility to the squad and even if he doesn’t feature on the field, he’ll be a force for good around the squad.
Few people are more passionate about the Socceroos jersey than Milos Degenek. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Martin Boyle
Martin Boyle looked out of sorts in the September window as the Socceroos stumbled against Bahrain and Indonesia in, what turned out to be, the final days of the Arnold era.
He didn’t feature in Popovic’s first squad, but his form for Hibernian, in Scotland, has been hard to ignore.
The 31-year-old has five goals and five assists to his name this season and could potentially be deployed as an inverted winger or striker.
His experience will also help the side deal with the scale of the challenge in-front of them.
A victory over Saudi Arabia next week will go some way towards rectifying the Socceroos dire start to the third round of qualifying.
Australia is currently second in group C but locked on five points with their next opponents, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
A top two finish in the group earns automatic qualification for the next World Cup in 2026, so the stakes around every fixture from here are high.
Squad: Max Balard, Aziz Behich, Brandon Borrello, Jordy Bos, Martin Boyle, Cameron Burgess, Anthony Caceres, Milos Degenek, Mitch Duke, Joe Gauci (GK), Jason Geria, Craig Goodwin, Rhyan Grant, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irvine, Paul Izzo (GK), Hayden Matthews, Riley McGree, Lewis Miller, Aiden O’Neill, Kye Rowles, Mat Ryan (GK), Harry Souttar, Nishan Velupillay, Patrick Yazbek, Kusini Yengi.
Teenage sensation Nestory Irankunda has been omitted from the Socceroos squad for this month’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, but uncapped trio Max Balard, Anthony Caceres and Hayden Matthews have been named by national coach Tony Popovic.
The 26-man attacking squad also includes returning attackers Martin Boyle, Brandon Borrello and Kusini Yengi, as well as veteran defenders Milos Degenek and Rhyan Grant.
Apart from Irankunda, also left out from the squad named for last month’s games against China and Japan were attacking weapons Daniel Arzani, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Sam Silvera, midfielders Luke Brattan, Keanu Baccus and Gianni Stensness, and defender Thomas Deng.
Sydney FC star Anthony Caceres has been named in the Socceroos squad. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“We’re in the early stages of this journey as a group and we’ll continue to implement the style of play that will be the foundation of our success throughout this cycle,” Popovic said.
“It’s an important series of fixtures and we’re looking forward to finishing off the year on the right note, and equally, putting on a strong performance for the people of Melbourne who have shown us such great support in recent years.”
Socceroos squad: Max Balard, Aziz Behich, Brandon Borrello, Jordy Bos, Martin Boyle, Cameron Burgess, Anthony Caceres, Milos Degenek, Mitchell Duke, Joe Gauci, Jason Geria, Craig Goodwin, Rhyan Grant, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irvine, Paul Izzo, Hayden Matthews, Riley McGree, Lewis Miller, Aiden O’Neill. Kye Rowles, Mat Ryan, Harry Souttar, Nishan Velupillay, Patrick Yazbek, Kusini Yengi
England great Michael Owen believes conquering the mental side of the game could be the determining factor between 18-year-old Australian Nestory Irankunda enjoying a long career in Europe and not quite living up to his incredible potential.
As a former teenage star himself, Owen is well qualified to speak on the topic.
In 1997, a then-17-year-old Owen scored on Premier League debut for Liverpool. Just four years later the former forward took home the Ballon d’Or as the best player in the world.
The ‘next big thing in Australian football’ is a tag that traditionally has carried a heavy weight in the post-golden generation era.
With it comes pressure, expectation and usually a move to a well-known European side – slightly ahead of schedule – thanks to the awareness of the Australian market created by five-straight appearances at the World Cup.
The risk for the purchasing club is minimal.
Nestory Irankunda of the Socceroos. Picture: Maya Thompson/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Australian players cost relatively minor sums and the potential reward, if that player shines, is a transfer fee worth millions.
The downside for the player is being thrown into an environment where the likelihood of a years-long cycle of loan spells is high.
Garang Kuol, for example, has struggled to make an impact at Newcastle United in the Premier League after his transfer from the Central Coast Mariners in 2023.
Daniel Arzani, after 24-appearances for Melbourne City, landed at Manchester City and was immediately loaned out to Scottish giants Celtic. An ACL injury on debut in October of 2018 cruelly halted his progress – and after a series of loan spells after his recovery, landed back in the A-League.
Only now is he starting to rebuild his career.
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Both left as teenagers and now Irankunda is following the same path. His move from Adelaide United to German powerhouse Bayern Munich at just 18 years of age has placed the spotlight on his every move as a Socceroo.
Owen, who scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for England, offered some advice to players like Irankunda in an interview with Fox Sports News to promote his upcoming speaking tour of Australia – An Evening with Michael Owen.
“If I was having a chat with somebody like that, I would hardly mention the game of football in terms of what they can and what they can’t do,” Owen told Fox Sports News.
“There are lots of people that are super talented, but being talented is obviously very important; you can’t get to the top without being talented. But then if there’s a million talented people in the world, then it’s all what happens between your ears.”
Irankunda has reportedly settled into life in Germany quite well.
Nestory Irankunda of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the ball. Picture: S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
He finished his first pre-season at Bayern with two goals and three assists and appeared an outside chance of swiftly integrating into the first team under manager Vincent Kompany.
The South Australian has since had to bide his time in the club’s second team while he pushes for his Bundesliga debut, but good form in that environment kept him in the plans of former Socceroos boss Graham Arnold and the man currently in the role, Tony Popovic.
Challenges await though.
In Popovic’s first match in charge, against China in Adelaide earlier this month, Irankunda started the match, but was substituted for Riley McGree at half-time in what the coach called a “tactical decision” at the time.
He didn’t feature in a 1-1 draw against Japan away in Tokyo just days later.
Popovic’s system, where the wingers take up more inverted roles, doesn’t appear to play to Irankunda’s strengths, but the young gun is good enough to adapt with time.
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At club level he has mainly featured in his more favoured role wide on the right.
“There’s a million things you could tell them, a million experiences that you could share with them,” Owen said.
“They live their own life, and we’ve got to understand their background and how they take to pressure.
“Yes, you could always give them little tips on how to improve, but it would all be about their mindset.
“How do they think going into a game: What happens if you make a mistake in the first minute? There’s another 89 minutes to go. Do you curl up in a ball or have you got coping strategies?
“A lot comes with experience. I learned some over time, but I also had a huge bank of know-how, of ability and mental strength to fall back on if I made a mistake in a game.”
There’s also hurdles off the pitch to conquer.
This generation of footballers are more active on social media than perhaps any other in the history of the game.
It gives them access to feedback, both positive and negative, quickly and in great quantity.
During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Arnold urged his players to stay off social media, warning it disrupted their mental preparation for games.
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Asked if he felt sorry for this current crop of players when it comes to the vast array of comments they get online, Owen had an interesting take.
“I don’t feel sorry for them,” he said.
“We had our own pressures. Our press were vicious, the pressure was huge; probably as much, if not even more back then.
“I feel sorry for young people in general with social media because everybody is under pressure to look good. You’re always getting it fed down your throat. So, I feel sorry for this generation of people because I think everybody feels that pressure, but no, I don’t feel sorry for footballers with social media.
TV pundit and former footballer, Michael Owen. Picture: David Rogers/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“They can be on it, or they can be off it. They’ve got the choice. They can create their own image.
“We had no choice. We had our image created for us by the press. If they wanted to put a turnip on our head on the front pages of all our media, they could do it and they did it.”
The 44-year-old, now plying his trade as a pundit, will tour Australia next month for a series of speaking engagements.
‘An evening with Michael Owen’ will stop in Perth, the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne; recounting a career that took him from Merseyside to Madrid and Manchester with stops at Newcastle and Stoke along the way as well.
The first show will be at Perth’s Ascot Racecourse on November 20.
