<\/p>\n
The Socceroos\u2019 final World Cup squad was announced on Monday morning with several winners and losers emerging as Tony Popovic handed down his final verdict<\/a>.<\/p>\n Australia will have a host of exciting fresh faces as they tackle Turkiye, the United States and Paraguay in Group D with 17 of the 26 squad members making their World Cup debuts.<\/p>\n \ufeffGet all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n That fact is also why Popovic has leant on experienced heads to ease the pressure on the first timers with several of the heroes of Qatar four years ago holding their place.<\/p>\n The manager made the importance of his senior players clear in Sunday\u2019s 1-0 friendly loss to tournament co-hosts Mexico<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, there is one new addition who is attracting more attention than most with Popovic making a call on a 22-year-old, who rejected Graham Arnold before the last World Cup, that will certainly divide opinion.<\/p>\n Scroll down for the winners and losers from the Socceroos World Cup squad announcement!<\/i><\/p>\n EVERY SOCCEROOS GAME > <\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n WINNERS<\/b><\/p>\n Cristian Volpato<\/b><\/p>\n There is no bigger winner in the squad announcement than the Sassuolo winger.<\/p>\n Volpato has been a divisive figure in Australian football ever since he first knocked back the Socceroos in order to pursue his dream of playing for Italy.<\/p>\n \u201cEver since I was a young kid, my dream was always to play for the Azzurri,\u201d the Italian underage representative told football360.com.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up with the 2006 (World Cup win), I had all the players on my wall. Obviously my dad, my nonno, they were all just mad crazy about the Azzurri. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd obviously them being my idols, you grow up and you follow your dad or your nonno, so it\u2019s always been my dream.\u201d<\/p>\n Discourse surrounding the former Roma prodigy ramped up earlier this year when Popovic and his assistant Paul Okon were spotted at one of Volpato\u2019s matches.<\/p>\n But it looked like their discussions had been unsuccessful when in a post-game press conference in March, Volpato assured journalist that \u201cI\u2019m waiting for Italy\u201d.<\/p>\n The Sydney born and raised winger has obviously had a change of heart though, switching his allegiance on Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even though Volpato has always been honest about his Italy ambitions, he has also stressed that he maintains a strong connection to the country of his birth.<\/p>\n \u201cMy dad still lives there, my sister still lives there, all my cousins live there. I was born and raised in Australia. I miss living there a bit. But I\u2019m used to the European, the Italian, lifestyle now,\u201d Volpato said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Australia is always home.\u201d<\/p>\n As for Popovic, the manager simply believes the talented player will make the Socceroos squad stronger as they try to make it out of the group stage for a third time ever.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve already spoken many times about the conversations we had and where it was left back in February. What\u2019s changed? The player wants to play for Australia. That\u2019s what\u2019s happened,\u201d Popovic said on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t chase him up or [ask] \u2018Have you changed your mind? Can you come to the World Cup?\u2019 We\u2019ve always appreciated him as a footballer. That hasn\u2019t changed, but I have to always respect the player\u2019s decision. And I\u2019ve always done that.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd once he made a decision that he wants to represent Australia, well, now there\u2019s a decision that we have to make. Do we go through the process? How quick can that process be? Is it worth doing now? Putting everything together, we\u2019ve come to the conclusion that we\u2019ll take that process further. Fortunately, that\u2019s all been ticked off.\u201d<\/p>\n Socceroos STUNNED by Volpato switch | 01:57<\/p>\n Tete Yengi<\/b><\/p>\n The other uncapped member of the squad – who was not one of the 65 players used in qualifying.<\/p>\n Yengi is the bolter in Popovic\u2019s squad after scoring six goals in 22 appearances across the JLeague 1 and the AFC Champions League Elite for Machida Zelvia this season.<\/p>\n On loan from Scottish Championship outfit Livingston, the 25-year-old tall striker also scored the winning goal in an AFC Champions League quarter-final.<\/p>\n Japan-born Yengi had never even been in a national squad until joining the Socceroos camp roughly a week ago and now could join his older brother Kusini, who did not make the World Cup squad, in donning the green and gold.<\/p>\n Yengi will be hoping to make a splash with his football rather than the incident he is perhaps best known for at present.<\/p>\n He was headbutted on the chin during Machida Zelvia\u2019s Champions League final loss to Saudi side Al Ahli.<\/p>\n Al Ahli\u2019s Zakaria Hawsawi squared up to Yengi near the sideline and earned himself a red card by headbutting his much taller opponent.<\/p>\n Mathew Leckie<\/b><\/p>\n Popovic\u2019s desire for experience paved the way for Leckie\u2019s return to national colours for the first time since 2024.<\/p>\n The 35-year-old started against Mexico on Sunday and along with Socceroos skipper Mat Ryan is now off to his fourth World Cup – matching Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan\u2019s national record.<\/p>\n Not long ago, Leckie\u2019s chances of making that slice of history appeared slim.<\/p>\n The man who scored the winner against Denmark in Qatar made just seven appearances for Melbourne City in the recently concluded A-League season.<\/p>\n But an impressive display in City\u2019s elimination final loss on penalties to eventual champions Auckland FC convinced Popovic.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you watch the game just played, Mathew Leckie was the best player on the park at 35 with no football under his belt,\u201d he told reporters before flying out to the United States for the pre-tournament training camp.<\/p>\n \u201cThat, a young player can\u2019t do just yet. That\u2019s the difference.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what you need at a World Cup. Will he make the World Cup? It will come down to his body.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if you just look at the quality he could do at 35 with no football under his belt, a young player can\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just normal. He will maybe do it in time with experience, maturity and strength. They offer something different. They offer raw talent, the quality they have. You can see something is there.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we\u2019re not talking about friendly games now. We\u2019re talking about the World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he showed on the weekend the difference. That\u2019s the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Socceroos rue missed chances vs. Mexico | 02:30<\/p>\n Mat Ryan<\/b><\/p>\n The question over the captain\u2019s place in the team was put to bed many months ago, but like Leckie, Ryan\u2019s World Cup place did not look so assured last year.<\/p>\n The shot stopper was recalled to the national squad last October after missing out previously while his club future was up in the air.<\/p>\n Ryan eventually landed at Levante in Spain and as he racked up the minutes, he quickly returned to being Australia\u2019s No.1.<\/p>\n Most promisingly for the Socceroos ahead of Ryan\u2019s fourth straight World Cup is that his form has got better and better in recent months.<\/p>\n The 34-year-old was instrumental between the posts as Levante won five of their last eight matches to avoid relegation for La Liga.<\/p>\n Ryan kept four clean sheets in that stretch and throughout the season made highlights with several spectacular saves, including a double save against Barcelona<\/a>.<\/p>\n Harry Souttar<\/b><\/p>\n The big defender was always in a race against the clock, but has made it to the start line to feature at a second straight World Cup.<\/p>\n The towering 27-year-old spent more than a year on the sidelines with an Achilles injury and only returned to the pitch for the final two games of Leicester City\u2019s disastrous campaign that ended in relegation from the Championship.<\/p>\n In positive signs for Australia, Souttar did score a header in one of those games and also made his first Socceroos start since 2024 against Mexico.<\/p>\n He played the full 90 minutes in California in a huge step forward and Souttar\u2019s presence alongside Alessandro Circati and Lucas Herrington in central defence undoubtedly made the Socceroos stronger.<\/p>\n He was one of the heroes of Qatar with several massive tackles and blocks in the group stage victories against Denmark and Tunisia before a gallant display against Argentina in the Round of 16.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you watch [Souttar] perform, and you watch those two games, there is presence, there is aura, and there is a leader,\u201d Popovic said on the eve of Australia\u2019s pre-tournament camp. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t get that in a young player overnight. That takes time. He\u2019s done it at a World Cup when he played, also underdone.\u201d<\/p>\n LOSERS<\/b><\/p>\n Martin Boyle<\/b><\/p>\n The heartbreak story of the squad announcement was that Boyle will miss a second straight World Cup.<\/p>\n A regular in national team squads throughout qualifying campaigns, an Asian Cup and friendlies, Boyle now looks unlikely to ever play in a World Cup.<\/p>\n The 33-year-old Hibernian forward has scored ten goals in 41 international appearances but has been the unlucky player to make way given Cristian Volpato committed to the Socceroos.<\/p>\n Boyle was devastated four years ago when he suffered an ACL injury on the eve of the tournament in Qatar and now it is a second straight time that his World Cup hopes have been dashed at the death knock.<\/p>\n He is also regarded as one of the best teammates and people to have around the group within Australian ranks. <\/p>\n Boyle endeared himself to Socceroos fans off the pitch after the playoff victory against Peru in 2022 to secure their place at the World Cup by sharing a photo of himself in bed in his playing kit on social media after lengthy celebrations at the team hotel\u2019s swim up bar.<\/p>\n Riley McGree<\/b><\/p>\n