Veteran defender Milos Degenek has urged Australia’s younger players to avoid the pressure of intercontinental playoffs by securing a direct place at the 2026 World Cup.
The Socceroos face Japan in Perth on Thursday, knowing a win would put them in a strong position to qualify automatically. However, their fate still depends on the result of Saudi Arabia’s match against Bahrain later that evening.
Australia currently sit three points ahead of the Saudis in Group C of Asian qualifying, with a better goal difference. The top two teams will progress directly to the World Cup in North America.
Degenek, who played in both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups via playoff wins, said:
“It’s never easy going through knockout games. It’s much easier to qualify directly, and the boys understand how close we are.”
If Australia win, they’ll still have to wait five hours to see if Saudi Arabia drop points. If not, the Socceroos must get a result in their final group match in Jeddah next Tuesday.
Japan have already qualified and are fielding a younger squad after resting several regular starters. But Degenek, who previously played club football in Japan, warned that this could make the match even tougher:
“These new players will want to prove themselves. It won’t be a walk in the park.”
Australia are aiming to reach a sixth consecutive World Cup finals, and Thursday’s result could play a key role in avoiding another tense playoff route.
