Australia has secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Saudi Arabia 2-1 on Tuesday, becoming the 11th nation to qualify for the tournament.
The Socceroos, who had previously defeated Japan 1-0, needed only to avoid a heavy defeat in their final qualifier in Jeddah to book their ticket. This achievement marks Australia's first automatic qualification in 12 years and ensures their sixth consecutive World Cup appearance.
Saudi Arabia initially took the lead through Abdulrahman Al-Aboud's 19th-minute strike, but Australia mounted an impressive comeback with goals from Connor Metcalfe and Mitch Duke to secure the crucial victory.
Complete List of Qualified Nations
With Australia's qualification, the current list of nations that have secured their spots for the 2026 World Cup includes:
United States (co-host)
Canada (co-host)
Mexico (co-host)
Argentina
Japan
Iran
New Zealand
Jordan
Uzbekistan
Australia
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be historic as the first tournament to feature 48 teams, expanded from the previous format of 32 nations. It will also be the first World Cup hosted across three countries – the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
For Australia, this qualification represents a significant achievement in their football history, maintaining their impressive streak of World Cup appearances that began with the 2006 tournament in Germany.
The qualification campaign continues for other nations across different confederations, with many spots still up for grabs as teams battle for a place in the expanded tournament.
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