Total Football Heritage

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Lore & Background

The team's early history was defined by isolation and near misses. After failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1966 and 1970, losing in play-offs to North Korea and Israel respectively, Australia finally appeared at their first World Cup in West Germany in 1974. The team, made up of mostly amateur players, was eliminated at the end of the first round without scoring a goal. Over a 40-year period, the Australian team was known for its near misses in its attempts to qualify for the World Cup; they lost play-offs in 1966 to North Korea, 1970 to Israel, 1986 to Scotland, 1994 to Argentina, 1998 to Iran and 2002 to Uruguay. While World Cup qualification eluded the team between 1974 and 2006, Australia produced some notable performances, including defeating reigning world champions Argentina 4–1 in 1988 and drawing with reigning world champions Brazil 0–0 in 1997.

In Their Own Story

The second leg of the 2005 qualifying play-off for the 2006 FIFA World Cup was played in front of a crowd of 82,698 at Stadium Australia. Australia led Uruguay 1–0 after 90 minutes following a goal by Mark Bresciano in the first half. The aggregate was tied, and extra time was played. Neither team scored after two periods of extra time, bringing the game to a penalty shootout. Australia won the penalty shootout 4–2, making them the first-ever team to qualify for a World Cup via a penalty shootout. Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made two saves, with John Aloisi scoring the winning penalty for a place in the World Cup, Australia's first qualification in 32 years. In their opening group game of the 2006 World Cup, Australia defeated Japan 3–1, with Tim Cahill scoring two goals (84', 89') and John Aloisi scoring one (90+2') in the last eight minutes. The goals were the first ever scored by Australia's men's soccer team in a World Cup.

Reader's Guide

Australia initially developed a rivalry with New Zealand and an intercontinental rivalry with Uruguay, and, after returning to the AFC, has developed a rivalry with Japan. The team won the OFC Nations Cup four times between 1980 and 2004. The team won 31–0 against the American Samoa national football team in a FIFA World Cup qualification match, achieving the world record for the largest victory in a senior international match. After returning to the AFC, Australia finished the AFC Asian Cup as runners-up in 2011 and won in 2015 as hosts. This victory made Australia the only team in the world to win two different confederation cups. Mark Schwarzer has the most caps for Australia, with 109 to his name, while Tim Cahill has the most goals scored, with 50.

Did You Know?

• Australia recorded their worst ever defeat on 30 June 1951 as they lost 17–0 in a match to a touring England side.
• Australia won the 1967 South Vietnam Independence Cup against seven other nations, but this gained little recognition domestically.
• In 2003, Australia defeated England 3–1 at West Ham United's Boleyn Ground as Wayne Rooney made his international debut.
• Australia is a member of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) but currently does not contest the ASEAN Championship due to a mutual agreement.
• The success achieved at the 2006 World Cup saw the team named AFC National Team of the Year, as well as being dubbed the 'golden generation' in the history of the Socceroos.