Socceroos Depth Chart: Australia's squad for the 2026 World Cup

PASADENA, California -- Australia fell 1-0 to Mexico in their penultimate game before the FIFA World Cup on Saturday evening but, given the proximity of their opening game of that tournament, the result and manner of performance -- a Jekyll and Hyde-esque display in which a poor opening stanza was followed by a much more promising second -- almost felt like just two trees in a greater forest.

Was the Socceroos XI named by coach Tony Popovic, for instance, a preview of what can be expected against Türkiye? It certainly felt that way when the team sheet dropped, with Harry Souttar and Mat Leckie back for the first time in nearly two years, Mohamed Touré and Jackson Irvine starting after missing the March international window through injury, and Aiden O'Neill shrugging off the ankle injury that befell him at the start of the month.

Or was this mostly the starters, with a couple of players thrown in alongside them to audition for a more solid place? Lucas Herrington, for instance, started in place of Cameron Burgess, but he did so in a backline that otherwise appeared to be at full strength.

Does that signal that Popovic now sees the 18-year-old as a first-choice option alongside Souttar and Alessandro Circati? Or was this simply a test for the teenager, with Burgess getting a chance to respond when the Socceroos face Switzerland in San Diego in seven days?

In the midfield, Irvine was partnered by O'Neill, with Leckie starting further up the field in one of the wing roles, alongside Touré and Connor Metcalfe. Does that mean that Popovic sees the latter veteran as a more advanced option, as opposed to the deeper-lying midfield slot he's played at Melbourne City as of late?

And if so, what does that mean for Nestory Irankunda and Cristian Volpato, the former of whom came off the bench against El Tri -- a supersub against tired defences possibly his role in June -- and the latter not part of the squad after only landing that day.

Further, with Brandon Borrello, Tete Yengi and Joe Gauci all absent from the matchday squad, were we given an indication that they are missing the World Cup squad, too? Or did six players -- Borrello, Yengi, Patrick Beach, Awer Mabil, Nishan Velupillay and Kai Trewin -- all being assigned numbers above 26 across the first official team sheet and its subsequent revision indicate that the four players that will miss the World Cup will be drawn from their numbers?

The latter, probably not, given Socceroos staff indicated that numbers were assigned ahead of pre-camp or as players arrived in Sarasota.

In the end, we won't have to wait much longer for the speculation to end and for us to all be put out of misery, with Tony Popovic set to announce his final 26-player squad for the tournament on Sunday evening local time, following his side's relocation to their base camp in Oakland.

He's currently got 30 players with him in the extended squad that travelled from pre-camp in Sarasota to Pasadena, meaning four unlucky players are set to miss. He's not going to enjoy doing that, and given that even the process of leaving players out from this hypothetical squad was a challenge, given the quality of characters assembled in the squad and what missing a World Cup means, one can see why.

Nonetheless, for one last time in the 2026 cycle, ESPN has done their best to put their Popovic-hats on and tried to guess just what the coach might be thinking.

Goalkeeper

Starter: Mathew Ryan
Reserves: Paul Izzo, Patrick Beach

In the XI: Ryan was one of the last arrivals into pre-camp, but that was because he was finishing up one of the best seasons of his career by helping Levante avoid the drop in LaLiga. After starting against Mexico, his status as the one is clear.

Reserves: Izzo has made the backup position his own since making his international debut following qualification, and should be named in the 26. Beach and Gauci have battled it out through pre-camp in Florida, and it really could go either way, but Beach dressed for the Mexico game -- Gauci wasn't visible even during warm-ups -- and perhaps has the edge as the nominal incumbent third choice.

Biggest omission: Given that Popovic tapped him to start at the beginning of his tenure, Gauci missing the World Cup would represent a sharp reversal of fortunes and trigger a period of soul-searching; it's unlikely he'll spend next season with Aston Villa, after spending the last campaign on loan at relegated Port Vale in League One.

Left back

Starter: Jordy Bos
Reserves: Aziz Behich

In the XI: One of the least controversial picks in the squad. After a standout season with Feyenoord, Bos has looked strong in pre-camp, showed real promise against Mexico, and shapes as one of the Socceroos' most important players at the coming tournament.

Reserves: The ever-dependable Behich has been in pre-camp since its second week and will provide a strong safety cushion for Bos at the youngster's first World Cup. Don't rule out a potential starting role at some point in the weeks ahead, either.

Biggest omission: Bos and Behich have had the left-back position on pretty much the entire cycle, so one can't really say there's a notable snub at the position. Left-footed centre-back Kye Rowles has served as depth during the cycle and, if he does miss out, it'll be a sign Popovic isn't concerned about Bos' history of soft-tissue injuries.

Center backs

Starters: Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar, Lucas Herrington
Reserves: Cameron Burgess, Miloš Degenek, Jason Geria, Kai Trewin

In the XI: Amongst the first arrivals for pre-camp, Souttar looks to have answered every question asked of him over an intense near-month in Florida and looks slot in alongside Circati. After being named to start in what looked like close to a full-strength XI against Mexico, the brakes on the Herrington hype train continue to be absent.

Reserves: Geria and Trewin will bring positional versatility in addition to their dependability, while Degenek gets over the line in this projection thanks to his leadership. One wonders if Burgess will get a chance to reclaim his starting role from Herrington in the San Diego-based friendly against Switzerland next Saturday.

Biggest omission: A starter back in 2022 and a dependable option on the left, Rowles is perhaps battling with Geria and Degenek for a spot in the team, with it unlikely that Popovic, resolute as he wants his defences to be, will carry eight centre-backs in his squad.

Right back

Starter: Jacob Italiano
Reserves: Jason Geria, Kai Trewin

In the XI: Lewis Miller's devastating Achilles injury has long thrust Italiano into a solid footing in the right wing-back role, and his start against Mexico reinforces that.

Reserves: There's no natural right wing-back depth in the 30 players vying for selection beyond Italiano, but Trewin was brought on to replace the West Australian against Mexico, while Geria can also fill in at the position.

Biggest omission: The call-ups of Raphael Borges Rodrigues and Daniel Bennie into pre-camp always felt like they were made with more of an eye on next year's AFC Asian Cup than the World Cup, but the lack of a proper right wing-back in the squad represents a gamble.

Central midfielders

Starters: Jackson Irvine, Aiden O'Neill
Reserves: Mat Leckie, Paul Okon Jr., Cameron Devlin, Ajdin Hrustić, Connor Metcalfe

In the XI: Irvine and O'Neill were both tapped to start against Mexico, and while there were obvious signs of rust -- both have been carrying injuries -- and there are questions of how they fit together stylistically, they appear to be Popovic's preferred duo.

Reserves: Okon Jr. and Hrustić came off the bench against Mexico, with the former showing real flashes of promise. Devlin, meanwhile, adds rugged depth behind Irvine and O'Neill's injury concerns, while Leckie at this stage of his career should be playing here. Metcalfe, meanwhile, obviously has Popovic's trust.

Biggest omission: Alex Robertson was amongst the eight players that departed before the squad relocated to California, and will consider himself unlucky not to get more of a chance to press his case. So too will Max Balard, who was unlucky not to even get a pre-camp invite even with a relatively down season in the Eredivisie.

Wingers

Starters: Connor Metcalfe, Nishan Velupillay
Reserves: Cristian Volpato, Nestory Irankunda, Martin Boyle, Mat Leckie, Awer Mabil, Ajdin Hrustić

In the XI: Metcalfe started on the right against Mexico, and while he's not carrying the same level of hype as others in the squad, he continuously is trusted to start. Leckie was also in the XI against El Tri, but can he back up as a starter in three straight games? If he can't, Velupillay, who was one of the first players to come off the bench at the Rose Bowl, could be entrusted with the start.

Reserves: After missing the World Cup in 2022 through injury, Boyle looks on the cusp of finally appearing at the global showpiece, while Mabil's late push for the squad has momentum. Volpato and Irankunda are obviously the two biggest names, but the latter could find himself deployed centrally come June, while one has to wonder if the former, who still hasn't logged a training session yet, will be trusted by Popovic to start on the biggest stage.

Biggest omission: Craig Goodwin did his best to return from injury and press his case for selection but, unlike Leckie, he wasn't able to put together the kind of 90-minute performance to convince Popovic that he and his sweet left foot needed to be in camp.