Latest Sports Stories

Football News

As a player Popovic was relentless in being his best. But behind his ruthless reputation is a focused leader deeply committed to his playersWhere Tony Popovic goes, a culture follows. It’s been one of the most consistent themes of his time in dugouts across Australia. It was there at Western Sydney, when he was entrusted with the newly created side and turned them into Asian champions within two seasons. It was there when he was brought into Perth Glory and led them to their first piece of silverware in the A-League era. And it was there after he arrived at Melbourne Victory, who were reeling from their first wooden spoon, and delivered an Australia Cup and grand final appearance.It was visible, too, when he was parachuted into the Socceroos role in 2024, just days after Graham Arnold’s resignation and with only weeks to prepare before crucial qualifiers against China and Japan. The initial change wasn’t perhaps as wholesale as some might have expected. Popovic needed time to get his feet under him, observe what was taking place, and plan changes (lollies definitely did disappear from meetings, though). But a well-established reputation preceded him and a change of mood in the halls began as players adjusted to new expectations and demands – both stated and presumed.In a Victory-produced documentary made during his first year at the club, Popovic recounted a story from his teenage years, when his mother volunteered his family to clean a nearby bakery. He did a good job, but the next week, when then 16-year-old Popovic suggested staying home to rest before a game the next day, his father responded: “If you decide not to go [to clean], you will never make it in football, because you are satisfied with your level. At the moment, you are content with just being good. You don’t want to be the best.” He returned to the bakery and, in his recollection, did an even better job cleaning it than the week prior; imbued with a lesson not just about working hard once, but repeating that effort to be even better.Popovic went on to play 58 times for the Socceroos, including being part of the golden generation side that qualified for the 2006 World Cup. He earned an esteem not just for his fierce nature on the field – named “the Enforcer” by teammates – but also for an obsession with details and doing everything he could off the field to extract every ounce of potential from his body.While at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, he suffered what a specialist told him was a career-ending toe injury, only to completely change the way he played and prepared, and keep going for another 12 years, including a stint in the Premier League with Crystal Palace. This attitude transferred to his coaching too. “He used to look at things I didn’t even think of looking at,” says Brendan Hamill, who played under Popovic at Wanderers and Victory. When asked what some of these small details are, he laughs. “A gram of bodyweight! It’s details that make the big difference for him.”Indeed, a proper diet is a big focus for Popovic: the best athletes are the ones who are fuelling their bodies in the right way. But you don’t need talent to eat the right things, the coach observes, especially when you’ve got a legion of staff there to support you. Sports dietician Julie Meek was one of his first appointments upon his ascension to national team coach. Adequate sleep and recovery is another, with detailed instructions for when to get shut-eye on long flights across multiple time zones and new pillows distributed during the March camp. “You could almost say he’s part machine,” assistant coach Hayden Foxe once said of his boss.There is, of course, a focus on the games, too. The smallest of details, right down to where you step or how you move, are identified and communicated in case that’s the difference between victory and defeat. So is doing the right things in training. You don’t have to train well, but you damn well better be doing your utmost.“I can’t handle poor training attitude because that leads to bad performance,” he told players in the Victory documentary. “You can train shit, I can accept that, and me and the staff will work hard to help you get better. When I see in someone’s eyes, ‘I want to get better every day,’ I’ll do anything for you, anything. On the park, off the park, for your family, whatever your kids need, I’ll fucking do it. But give me the wrong attitude, you’re gone for me.”Invariably, ruthlessness accompanies this approach. But if you don’t meet his expectations? Plenty have been cast aside, sometimes unceremoniously. His arrival in the national team was no different, bringing significant turnover for the squad, coaches and support staff. At the same time, however, his reputation as an austere disciplinarian isn’t wholly reflective of reality, either. The inner sanctum has been closely guarded during his tenure, but it’s easy to observe the coach joking around with his players, playing keepy-uppy, and relaxing at training before it’s time to lock in.Few would argue Popovic’s arrival wasn’t what the team needed. After a World Cup qualifying defeat against Bahrain on the Gold Coast in September 2024, the spirit of the Socceroos family that underpinned so much of their success under Arnold had frayed. Arnold clearly had more to give – observe his elevation to hero status in Iraq after leading them to a first World Cup in 40 years – but he and the Socceroos had come as far as they could. Players, professionals who were ready to be pushed, were up for a vibe shift. And they got one.Now, with a World Cup looming, Popovic has become visibly more comfortable as he’s adjusted to the post, and it is apparent he and his staff have a better handle on what’s worth sweating and what is not. He now faces his biggest test of all: a World Cup. The realisation of nearly 40 years of dedication and learning, distilled into four weeks when he leads his country on the world’s biggest stage.

Football News

Australia pose following victory in the Fifa Series match between the Socceroos and Curacao. Photograph: Graham Denholm/Getty ImagesTony Popovic has brought discipline and structure as the Socceroos target their first knockout win in a World CupThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.The Socceroos are stepping into the unknown as much as any side with a new crop of eye-catching attacking talents playing alongside a more experienced midfield and defensive core. Qualification for a sixth consecutive World Cup was sealed without needing to tread carefully through the playoffs for the first time since 2014, but only after a change of direction when Tony Popovic replaced Graham Arnold as the head coach.The renowned disciplinarian demanded a greater physical intensity and defensive zeal in all areas of the field, with results quickly improving and building into an eight-match unbeaten run that locked in a World Cup spot. The Socceroos have suffered from mixed fortunes since then as Popovic has cast the net wider to give opportunities to fringe players and the next generation.The side have become better organised defensively with three centre-backs, two wing backs and a pair of battle-hardened midfielders, a common set up especially in first halves when Popovic likes to keep contests tight. The emergence of young forwards Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Touré – and Jordan Bos on a wing – adds a spark to the lineup and can be especially threatening on a counterattack late in games. The inclusion of Cristian Volpato, who switched his allegiance from Italy to Australia at the last minute, offers another potentially exciting option.After reaching the last 16 for the second time, in 2022, the hope is that the Socceroos can win a first knockout game. It will be easier said than done while starting in an evenly matched group but, as is his way, Popovic has insisted the side are up to the challenge. “We’re always deemed as the underdog or the team that will be fighting for the bottom spot and we have an opportunity through our actions and our performances and results to show that that can be different,” the Socceroos coach said in early May.Tony Popovic coaches like he played as a hard-nosed defender in his 58 matches for the Socceroos, including being part of the renowned 2006 World Cup squad. The 52-year-old values substance over style, but finds a way to make it work with a coaching record that includes two A-League premierships and an Asian Champions League crown. Popovic quickly put his fingerprints all over the Socceroos when taking charge in September 2024 with their World Cup qualification hopes floundering. His steely determination and the side’s newfound sharper edge booked their ticket to a sixth consecutive global showpiece. Now they are ready to face arguably the trickiest group.The Socceroos lack star power, but Nestory Irankunda is their human highlight reel. The 20-year-old attacker launches rockets from outside the area, beats defenders with pace and has a bag full of tricks. He often celebrates his goals with a backflip and a Michael Jackson dance move. This tournament can be the stage for Irankunda to bring those talents to the world. Meanwhile, Mohamed Touré may just upstage his childhood friend if he can carry his red-hot goalscoring form from club to country.Jordan Bos has become a darling among the most ardent Socceroos fans. He could soon bring himself to the attention of the country. The 23-year-old has lit up the Eredivisie in his first season with Feyenoord, becoming the first Australian to win a player of the month award in the Netherlands’ top flight. Bos’s pace, power and technique down the left flank are a huge asset for club and country, whether he is picked as an attack-minded wingback or as part of the midfield. He can also be dangerous near goal and recently scored in three consecutive appearances for the Socceroos.Alessandro Circati flies under the radar with a role at centre-back, but the 22-year-old has quickly emerged as one of the most important pieces of Popovic’s Socceroos puzzle. His physicality sets the tone while his composure calms the nerves – while also having the skill and polish on the ball that helps turn defence into attack. Circati’s standing within the team was revealed when he became the youngest player to captain the side, in a friendly against New Zealand last year. The defender has also risen through the ranks at Parma in line with the club’s rise from Serie B to Serie A and should relish the opportunity to test himself at the highest level.When it comes to the World Cup, Australia’s fans fall into three groups. The national sporting psyche is subconsciously activated and even the most sport-agnostic find themselves shaking their fists at the TV. The sport-appreciators quickly rekindle their love of the round-ball game and wonder why they don’t watch more. The tried and true Australian football devotees shout from the rooftops “we’ve been here all along” as the country duly unites around them and the men in green and gold. Some will make the trip, but many may have been turned off by costs and uncertainty on the ground. At home, the unusually agreeable kick-off times lend themselves to full pubs, watch parties or office huddles. A national crisis was averted when the decision to ban screenings of matches at Melbourne’s Federation Square was overturned in less than 24 hours.While Australian politicians toe the line on Donald Trump, refusing to call out even his most egregious statements for what they are, one outspoken Socceroos veteran has not been shy. The St Pauli captain and midfielder Jackson Irvine has become the leading critic of Fifa among current players and took aim at football’s governing body for awarding a peace prize to the US president. “As an organisation, you would have to say decisions like the one that we saw awarding this peace prize makes a mockery of what they’re trying to do with the human rights charter and trying to use football as a global driving force for good and positive change in the world,” Irvine said.

Football News

Mexico defeat Australia 1-0 in friendly ahead of World CupLoss adds to pressure on Tony Popovic to get squad selection rightAustralia may have lost their World Cup warm-up match to Mexico 1-0. But with just two weeks until their first match of the tournament against Turkey, the Socceroos appear to have found something more important: confidence.A second-half turnaround against Fifa’s 15th-ranked side almost secured a draw for the Socceroos, who had three good chances to equalise on Saturday night in California. Despite a conservative approach, Tony Popovic’s side showed resilience and increasing positivity as they took the game to the World Cup co-hosts and 78,479 mostly green-clad fans who filled the Rose Bowl Stadium.The defeat is a reminder, however, there will be little room for error at the World Cup for an Australian side featuring few elite talents. It also heightens pressure on Popovic to get the selection right for his squad, which is due to be announced on Monday.Against Mexico, there was no first Socceroos appearance for Cristian Volpato after the weekend shock of his switch of allegiance. The late call-up was left out of the squad, alongside forwards Brandon Borrello and Tete Yengi and goalkeeper Joe Gauci, adding intrigue as Popovic prepares to make his final four cuts.Defender Harry Souttar – who played the entire match – said he didn’t want to celebrate his own selection yet, and it will be cruel on whoever is left out. “There’ll be a few disappointed boys going to miss out on it, which is obviously a tough thing,” he told Paramount+. “It’s a real shame, but that’s football.”The game showed the importance to the Socceroos of Souttar and Irvine, veterans who had been under injury clouds ahead of the tournament but now look likely to be in the XI.Alongside Souttar, Popovic delivered a surprise on Sunday in selecting 18-year-old Lucas Herrington – who produced a mostly accomplished performance – on the left side of the back three, rather than the more experienced Cam Burgess. The coach’s decision to deploy the robust duo of Connor Metcalfe and Mathew Leckie in the attacking midfielder roles, leaving Nestory Irankunda on the bench, signalled a cautious approach.That played out in the first half as Australia consolidated their reputation – fair or not – as defensively minded wreckers. Mexico enjoyed three-quarters of possession early on, but were provided few genuine opportunities. The nature of the breakthrough was, therefore, a surprise and disappointment.Mexico’s goal came from a corner, a relatively feeble glancing header by Johan Vásquez after Aiden O’Neill couldn’t stretch for the nodded clearance. The ball squirmed through a crowd of bodies towards Mat Ryan’s back post, which it hit then rebounded back across the line. This was no thumping strike, no majestic piece of skill. This was just dismal.Australia might never be able to play the world’s best off the park through pass and move, or dribbling skill, but there is no reason why they can’t be one of the most robust outfits at set pieces. That goal highlighted how nothing can be taken for granted; how fine the margins will be for the Socceroos in North America.When the half-time whistle went, it was 11 shots to three; 396 passes to 132. Just four touches for Australia in the Mexico goalbox. Yet they went into the break having also had the half’s best chance.Popovic lamented Australia’s struggle to maintain possession under Mexico’s pressure and to convert chances. “The players just need to believe a little bit more,” he said. “You’re not going to get many chances in football. It’s the World Cup you’re preparing for – you don’t give them any chances. They didn’t have a clear chance, but they scored from the corner.”Alessandro Circati launched a long ball towards right back Jacob Italiano, but a Mexican defensive mixup left striker Mo Touré with an opportunity he should have taken. A half-clearance fell to the striker with the goalkeeper out of position, and the bouncing ball asked him to side foot it into the open goal. It was an act he would do a hundred times a week without trouble in training yet, slightly unbalanced, he hooked his lob to the left of the goal.But Touré quickly put it behind him in the second half and was central during the Socceroos’ best period. A Souttar header off a set piece fell to his swinging volley. Even if the Touré shot was blocked, the follow-up was hammered back in by Aiden O’Neill and well saved by Mexico’s substitute keeper Guillermo Ochoa. That was Australia’s first shot on target, and they were not done.Touré became a target on the counter, as early balls into the channels won the Socceroos field position and crucial set pieces. Souttar’s head was the target at the back post, and suddenly a formula for Australian success emerged. Touré and Souttar might have been the bookends for the revival, but they were supported by ambition in midfield, as the yellow shirts were able to progress from defence to attack with confidence.The best chances of the second half fell to substitutes Ajdin Hrustic and Kai Trewin, both creating one for the other. Both were the result of driving runs into the area in transition. Though neither was a clear one-on-one, they were legitimate openings in a match otherwise lacking and a sign the Socceroos won’t be Group D easy-beats.The Socceroos now travel to their World Cup training base in Oakland, ahead of their final pre-tournament friendly against Switzerland in San Diego next weekend. “Every day now it feels it’s just getting closer, it’s getting more real,” Souttar said. “A disappointing result tonight, but so many positives to take moving forward.”

Football News

Coach Tony Popovic will take a final look at players on the selection fringe with Australia’s 26-man squad to be named after the warm-up gameThe World Cup might have snuck up on many Australians, but the reality of the men’s football showpiece will leap out on Sunday, take hold of the nation and not let go for a month. The Socceroos play co-hosts Mexico in Los Angeles’ historic Rose Bowl in one of the marquee warm-up matches ahead of a tournament shared across North America that is now bursting with 48 teams.The Mexico showdown serves as a challenge for Australia against elite, motivated opposition. But for a handful of Socceroos, this weekend is also a test to see whether or not they will be allowed to stay in the US. It won’t be visa issues that send them home, rather it will be coach Tony Popovic telling them they haven’t made his final cut.Twenty-nine players have been in camp for the past week in Florida, vying for 26 places in the World Cup squad to be named immediately after the clash against Mexico. But the belated arrival of Cristian Volpato – who has switched allegiance from Italy and will join his new squad mates on Saturday – has added a new layer of intrigue to Popovic’s selection. It has also exposed another squad member who might have thought they were safely in the 26 to the disappointment of being cut so close to realising a career dream. There is no guarantee, however, those fringe players will even get the chance to take the field against Mexico. With barely two weeks before the Socceroos’ opening World Cup match against Turkey at 2pm AEST on 14 June, Popovic is likely to use this opportunity to build the connections between the players he will be relying on during the group stage.The coach said his selection decisions have largely been made. “The Mexico game can help in terms of seeing what we want to see,” he told ESPN this week. “We may have an idea about a player that we want to give some minutes to in that game, to see what he can do, and that might confirm something. But we’re very close as it is now.”Take the situation in goal. There are four goalkeepers currently in camp, but handing playing time against Mexico to any of Patrick Beach, Joe Gauci or Paul Izzo will rob clear No 1 Mat Ryan of the chance to familiarise himself with conditions and combinations with his backline.The situation with outfielders is more fluid. With the addition of Volpato to the train-on squad, three will be cut and at least one of those will be a defender. Milos Degenek, Kye Rowles, Kai Trewin and Jason Geria are options who can play both centrally and on the right. None, however, are likely to start against Turkey, leaving them vulnerable to Popovic’s axe. Minutes against Mexico will be their last chance to prove they deserve to stay.Similarly, in midfield and attack, the likes of A-Leagues duo Brandon Borello and Nishan Velupillay, and even fringe players such as Cameron Devlin and Awer Mabil won’t be sleeping comfortably yet. A Socceroos staff member has indicated Volpato – who can play as an attacking midfielder or winger – is unlikely to play against Mexico, further complicating the selection picture.“We have players that are very versatile, who can play in different positions,” Popovic said. “We need to make a good decision based on versatility and also the player that’s a specialist in his role, to see that the balance is right.”Tete Yengi, the powerful target man brought into camp without having played a game for the Socceroos, offers something different, and suddenly looms as an important plan B in the squad. “This whole puzzle is about getting the right balance and profiles for players and different scenarios in games,” Popovic said.Mabil said the dynamic hasn’t affected the players’ enthusiasm. “It’s a healthy competition, everybody is doing their very best to represent their country,” he said. “Every player is ready, no matter who, is ready to play and do their very best for the nation.”Yet rhetoric about squad deadlines does not offer the full picture. Although 26 names must be submitted to Fifa on 1 June, Popovic can make changes due to outfielder injury up until the day before their first match against Turkey. If any of the three selected goalkeepers is ruled out at any stage during the tournament, the fourth-choice can be parachuted into the squad.Perhaps more urgent than confirmation of the squad is how Popovic can get the best out of his major contributors. There are question marks over how the team will line up against Turkey, including whether Mo Toure and Nestory Irankunda will start, and who fits into the hole created by the injury to midfielder Riley McGree.Players such as Ajdin Hrustic, Martin Boyle, Mathew Leckie and Connor Metcalfe had been bumped up in the Popovic pecking order, and a good performance this weekend – as well next weekend’s final warm-up friendly against Switzerland – is likely to go a long way to securing them a key role for the tournament. But with the sudden emergence of Volpato, a former Italy youth international, nobody can be considered a certainty.While Socceroos fans will look closely at the team sheet around lunchtime on Sunday, the entire nation can tune in and feel, for the first time, the World Cup is close.

Football News

22-year-old to join up with Socceroos training squad in Los AngelesAttacker turned down offer four years ago to play for country of birthThe Socceroos have been handed a huge boost on the eve of the World Cup with young attacker Cristian Volpato to join up with the training squad before a friendly against Mexico in Los Angeles.The 22-year will make a shock switch of allegiance from Italy to Australia four years after turning down the opportunity to represent the country of his birth at the tournament in Qatar.FA has lodged all requisite paperwork to Fifa and is now waiting for the governing body to ratify Volpato’s decision to switch allegiance to Australia after representing Italy at the youth level.Volpato was born and raised in Sydney and played his junior football at Sydney United 58, Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers, before moving to Italy. He represented Italy at the Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 levels from 2022 with a last appearance in a friendly in March 2025.He snubbed multiple previous attempts to lure him from Italy and across to the Socceroos, including when then head coach Graham Arnold invited him to join up with the squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup.Australia’s persistence appears to have paid off, with Volpato not included in a youthful Italy squad named for friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece in June, while the four-time winners missed out on qualifying for a third successive World Cup.Popovic has said in the past that he would never “sell the shirt” but Volpato is unlikely to make the trip to Los Angeles without being in line for a late call-up to the Socceroos squad for the World Cup, especially with first-choice attacker Riley McGree ruled out this week due to a hamstring injury.The attacker joined the youth set up at Roma in 2020 and rose through the ranks to make a senior debut under José Mourinho during the 2021-22 Serie A season. He made 14 appearances and scored two goals across all competitions for I Giallorossi before moving to Sassuolo in 2023.Volpato has played 72 times and scored seven goals, with 11 assists, across all competitions for Sassuolo, and helped the club immediately return to Serie A after being relegated to the second tier at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. He scored twice, and added four assists, in 24 appearances during the current Serie A season.The Socceroos now have 30 players included in their train-on unit, with Popovic needing to reduce the number to 26 before a World Cup squad is named by 1 June.Volpato will not be part of the Socceroos side that faces World Cup co-hosts Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles California on 31 May (AEST), but is in the frame to be considered for their first game of the tournament against Turkey on 14 June.

Football News

Tim Payne identified as least-known player by Argentinian influencerCampaign launched to make defender a ‘hero’ before tournamentNew Zealand defender Tim Payne has become an unlikely star after an influencer from Argentina called on his followers to unite and make the little-known 32-year-old a “hero” of the upcoming World Cup.El Scarso, a football influencer also known as Valen Scarsini, identified Payne as the least-known player at the World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico based on his small social media following.Payne had around 4,700 followers on Instagram earlier this week. After being singled out by El Scarso that number has risen at a rate of almost 1,000 per minute to more than a million by Friday.Payne’s following is now six times greater than New Zealand’s captain and best-known player, Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood.“There are only a few days left before the World Cup starts and we are all waiting to cheer for our national team, but what if there was a player who united us all, a footballer we all support regardless of their nationality?” Scarsini said.“I searched through all the national teams playing in the World Cup for the least known one and after analysing them one by one I found him. In group G, in New Zealand, there is Tim Payne. He really is the least known. He doesn’t even have 5,000 followers.”Scarsini, who has more than 500,000 followers, implored his base to “start mentioning Tim Payne everywhere.”“We have to start making videos feeding the legend of Tim Payne. If you have the World Cup [sticker] album, upload a photo with his sticker. The goal is to see how many people know Tim Payne before the World Cup starts.”Now there is even a song supporting Payne, who recently made his 50th appearance for New Zealand after making his debut at 18.The chorus, in Spanish, says “I’ve got his back. I cheer him on. I’ve been rooting for him from the beginning. Tim Payne, from cradle to grave. You’re a crack. I cheer you on, every step.” It continues, “no Payne, no gain.”Payne, who plays his club football for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League Men, responded Friday to his new-found social media fandom.“Was wondering why my socials were blowing up and found your post, man,” he said. “Appreciate the love! Gracias, hermano.“I just want to say a massive thank you first to you Valen. It’s been a pretty crazy 48 hours to say the least. I just wanted to also express that I’m very grateful to be representing my country and I appreciate all the love from all around the world.”New Zealand are playing at the World Cup for the third time after qualifying in 1982 and 2010. They have yet to win a match. The national team, known as the All Whites, is in Group G with Belgium, Iran and Egypt.