Australia arrived at the 2022 World Cup with eyes on a deep run after three straight Group Play stage losses. Indeed, the Socceroos are in the Round of 16 for the first time since 2006, and they’re one victory away from finally reaching the quarterfinals. The road to Qatar wasn’t easy; Australia overcame strict COVID-19 restrictions, rules which forced them to play most of their matches on the road, and multiple playoffs just to qualify. If the Socceroos could get past all of those obstacles, what’s stopping them from defeating Argentina on Saturday? Besides Lionel Messi, of course.
Round of 16: Australia vs. Argentina
| Match | Date | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Australia vs. Argentina | December 3, 2022 | 2 p.m. | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium |
Prediction: Australia vs. Argentina
Unfortunately for Australia, their World Cup title hopes could end at the buzzsaw that is Messi and an immensely talented Argentina squad in the Round of 16. Time is running out for Messi to finally win a World Cup, and the Socceroos are the latest target in his path. Although we’re projecting La Albiceleste to win on Saturday, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the match!
How to watch the Australia World Cup team for free online
The best way to watch every Socceroos match for free online is on Australia’s SBS On Demand. Here’s the full rundown of global broadcasters showing the World Cup for free:
| Territory | Language | Rights holder(s) | Price |
| Australia | English | SBS | Free |
| Belgium | French | RTBF (French) | Free |
| Belgium | Dutch | VRT (Dutch) | Free |
| France | French | TF1 | Free |
| Germany | German | ARD | Free |
| Germany | German | ZDF | Free |
| Ireland | English | RTÉ | Free |
| Italy | Italian | RAI | Free |
| Netherlands | Dutch | NOS | Free |
| Portugal | Portuguese | RTP | Free |
| Spain | Spanish | RTVE | Free |
| United Kingdom | English | ITV, BBC | Free |
| Poland | Polski | TVP | Free |
| Sweden | Svenska | SVT | Free |
| Sweden | Svenska | TV4 | Free |
| South Korea | Korean | SBS | Free |
| South Korea | Korean | KBS | Free |
| South Korea | Korean | MBC | Free |
| Japan | Japanese | Abema, Dentsu | Free |
| Denmark | Dansk | DR | Free |
| Norway | Norsk | NRK | Free |
| Finland | Finnish | Yle | Free |
| Finland | Finnish | MTV3 | Free |
| Brazil | Portuguese | TV Globo | Free |
| Mexico | Spanish | Azteca7 | Free |
| Mexico | Spanish | Televisa (vix) | Free |
Group stage: Australia World Cup 2022 fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | France vs. Australia (Winner: France, 4-1) | 2 p.m. |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Tunisia vs. Australia (Winner: Australia, 1-0) | 5 a.m. |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Australia vs. Denmark (Winner: Australia, 1-0) | 10 a.m. |
Final 26-man Australia World Cup 2022 roster
| Position | Player | Age | WT | HT |
| Goalkeeper | Andrew Redmayne | 33 | 183 lbs | 6′ 2″ |
| Goalkeeper | Danny Vukovic | 37 | 212 lbs | 6′ 2″ |
| Goalkeeper | Mat Ryan | 30 | 207 lbs | 6′ 6″ |
| Defender | Bailey Wright | 30 | 183 lbs | 6′ 1″ |
| Defender | Kye Rowles | 24 | 196 lbs | 6′ 0″ |
| Defender | Miloš Degenek | 28 | 181 lbs | 6′ 2″ |
| Defender | Aziz Behich | 31 | 139 lbs | 5′ 7″ |
| Defender | Thomas Deng | 25 | 161 lbs | 5′ 10″ |
| Defender | Harry Souttar | 24 | 174 lbs | 6′ 6″ |
| Defender | Fran Karačić | 26 | 163 lbs | 6′ 1″ |
| Defender | Nathaniel Atkinson | 23 | 161 lbs | 5′ 11″ |
| Defender | Joel King | 22 | 172 lbs | 5′ 10″ |
| Midfielder | Aaron Mooy | 32 | 150 lbs | 5′ 9″ |
| Midfielder | Jackson Irvine | 29 | 152 lbs | 6′ 2″ |
| Midfielder | Ajdin Hrustic | 26 | 161 lbs | 6′ 0″ |
| Midfielder | Riley McGree | 24 | 159 lbs | 5′ 10″ |
| Midfielder | Keanu Baccus | 24 | 148 lbs | 5′ 10″ |
| Midfielder | Cameron Devlin | 24 | 150 lbs | 5′ 7″ |
| Forward | Martin Boyle | 29 | 117 lbs | 5′ 8″ |
| Forward | Mathew Leckie | 31 | 181 lbs | 5′ 11″ |
| Forward | Craig Goodwin | 30 | 159 lbs | 5′ 11″ |
| Forward | Awer Mabil | 27 | 141 lbs | 5′ 10″ |
| Forward | Mitch Duke | 31 | 183 lbs | 6′ 0″ |
| Forward | Jamie Maclaren | 29 | 168 lbs | 5′ 10″ |
| Forward | Jason Cummings | 27 | 183 lbs | 5′ 10″ |
| Forward | Garang Kuol | 18 | 150 lbs | 5′ 9″ |
Star players on the Australia World Cup team
Veteran midfielder Jackson Irvine and forward Tim Boyle headline an Australia team hoping to make a deep run in the 2022 World Cup. Fans should also keep a close eye on center-back Harry Souttar, who returned to the pitch in early November following a torn ACL. The 6-foot-6 Souttar is a potent scorer and looked sharp in his first few matches back.
Who Is Australia’s head coach?
Although Graham Arnold has served as Australia’s coach since 2018, this year marks his first time leading a team in the World Cup. The 59-year-old replaced Bert van Marwijk as Australian coach following the 2018 World Cup.
FAQ: Australia 2022 World Cup squad
When did Australia last win the World Cup?
As of 2022, Australia’s men’s soccer team has never won the World Cup. In fact, the Socceroos have only made it past the group stage once in five tries, doing so during the 2006 tournament in Germany. We’ll see if their luck finally changes in Qatar.
How many times has Australia been in the World Cup?
The 2022 World Cup marks Australia’s fifth trip to the most prestigious event in soccer. They first qualified in 1974 but didn’t make it back until 2006. However, the 2022 World Cup marks Australia’s fifth consecutive appearance, so they’ve at least managed to become regulars.
How good is Australia at football?
Australia isn’t bad at football, per se. Any nation that makes five consecutive World Cup appearances after going over 30 years without one can’t be that bad, right? However, Australia still has a ways to go before it can compete with traditional powerhouses like Brazil or Spain.