Match Preview: Australia v Indonesia | FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier™
The Subway Socceroos return to Sydney Football Stadium for the first time since 2017 on Thursday, March 20, for an all-important FIFA World Cup 2026™ Third Round Asian Qualifier against Indonesia.
With Japan well on top of Group C, the second automatic World Cup qualifying spot remains wide open. Australia have their noses in front, accumulating seven points in their six games so far, ahead of the other four teams in the group – Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China – who are all on six.
The top two teams in each of the three Third Round Asian Qualifier groups automatically qualify for the World Cup. The teams that finish third and fourth in each group advance to the Fourth Round Asian Qualifiers.
The good news for the Socceroos is that, as things stand, World Cup qualification is very much in their own hands. Six points in this window - starting with a win at home in Sydney, against Indonesia, on Thursday night - would go a long way to taking the next step towards qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
- READ MORE: Subway Socceroos squad named for March World Cup Qualifiers
- READ MORE: Socceroos Squad Notes: Six potential debutants as four players receive maiden call-ups, and six return
The Squad
Head Coach Tony Popovic has made ten changes to his squad from the November window. Players returning to the squad include Jason Davidson, Adam Taggart, Marco Tilio, Daniel Arzani, Fran Karačić and the uncapped goalkeeper Tom Glover. Karačić and Davidson are back for the first time since 2022.
Nectarios Triantis, Kai Trewin, Alex Grant and Ryan Teague are the four players who have been called up for the first time. Triantis, Trewin and Teague are youngsters at the beginning of their careers, while Grant is an experienced defender who will add calm and composure to the back line.
Injuries have hit particularly hard in the defensive department. Harry Souttar, Alessandro Circati, Jordy Bos, Hayden Matthews and Thomas Deng are just some of the names that are unavailable for this window.
The absences have created opportunities for the new players in the squad to impress Popovic and stake their claim for a long-term role. Players and coach alike have reiterated throughout the week that anyone can make any position their own. Players like Alex Grant and Kai Trewin will be hoping to take their opportunity in defence with both hands.
Up top, the likes of Kusini Yengi and Marco Tilio will look to create opportunities with their youthful attacking flair while more experienced forwards like Craig Goodwin and the returning Adam Taggart will hope to make their mark on the scoresheet.
The Opponent
Indonesia are a footballing nation on the rise. Their ambitions go far behind just reaching the Third Round of Asian Qualifiers – they want to see themselves on the biggest stage in world football for the first time since 1938.
Thursday night will be the team’s first game under new coach Patrick Kluivert. Kluivert played 79 times for the Netherlands between 1994 and 2004 and has an Australian connection, having been part of Ange Postecoglou’s coaching staff at the Brisbane Roar in 2010.
The last time that the Socceroos took on Indonesia was in Jakarta in September, when the home side’s defence dug in for a hard-fought scoreless draw.
In the November window, they secured an incredibly impressive 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, a result that means automatic World Cup qualification is possible for any team in Group C.
Their most recent internationals saw them fail to reach the knock-out stages of the AFF Championship in December. However, as that tournament fell outside of a FIFA window, their full-strength squad was unavailable to compete.
Fans can expect to see a tough battle on Thursday night, with Indonesia endeavouring to make it incredibly difficult for the Socceroos to break their defensive line down.
FIFA World Rankings
Australia: 26
Indonesia: 127
Head-to-Head ('A' Internationals)
Played: 17
Wins: 12
Draws: 4
Losses: 1
Insights
- Australia have lost only one of all their 17 men’s ‘A’ internationals against Indonesia (W12 D4) – a 0-1 defeat in August 1981; the Socceroos are undefeated in their eight meetings since then (W6 D2), keeping a clean sheet across each of those eight matches.
- Australia have recorded a draw in four of their last five men’s ‘A’ internationals (W1), including each of their last three; a fourth consecutive draw in this match would equal the Socceroos’ longest run of draws in their history (4 games from October to November in 1969 and 4 games from October 2016 to March 2017).
- Indonesia have lost each of their last two men’s internationals by an exact 0-1 margin on the day; the last time they recorded a longer losing run was a four-match span to begin 2024.
- Kusini Yengi (Australia) scored a goal once every 95 minutes in men’s internationals in 2024 (6 goals scored), the most frequent of any player to score more than once for the Socceroos; in addition, his shot conversion rate (46.2% from 13 shots) was the best of any Socceroos player last year (min. 3 shots).
- Craig Goodwin (Australia) made 13 carries ending in a shot (5) or chance created (8) in men’s internationals in 2024, more than two times as many as any other Socceroos player last year (Jordan Bos – 6); although, he scored only one goal via this method (0 assists).
Australian form guide: D-D-D-W-D
Indonesia form guide: L-L-D-W-W
What They Said
Tony Popovic
On the situation coming into the game
"We understand very clearly where we are at in the qualification games. We also know that we're second, and we have a chance to cement that spot with a good win now, and then we want to win again in China. It's in our hands. We need to embrace that pressure, that expectation, playing here in Sydney, a wonderful city. You can see here in the background how good it is, a full capacity stadium full of our supporters. We’ve got to embrace the challenge and get the job done."
On playing in Sydney
"It’s special. I'm a Sydney boy, so it's a very special moment. I can tell by the request for tickets from family and close friends that this is special, a special moment playing in Sydney. As I referred to earlier, it’s a wonderful crowd. Wonderful city to play football. The Socceroos have always been supported here. We've had some special moments in Sydney in the past. We want everyone to get behind us. We want to put on a fantastic performance and get the crucial three points."
Adam Taggart
"It's a massive game for us, but that's why we want to play football. It's for these kind of moments. It's a great opportunity for us as a team to stamp our foot on this group stage and make sure that we can try and creep away from that group.
"At the end of the day, with any game in football, you've just got to concentrate on what's in front of you. And, you know, concentrate on the right things, which is the tactical side, having a good mentality and making sure that we're going in there with nothing but a winning mentality."
Kai Trewin
"I think it comes with being a Socceroo really, the expectation of winning all your games and playing well. This is the biggest step for football in Australia, and I think that the expectation just comes with that.
"They'll [Indonesia] be a great team, obviously. I'll just focus on trying to contribute as best as I can to the team, and however that is, I'll just give it my best and try and help."
Jackson Irvine
"We've definitely got a sense of calmness and confidence here in what we're trying to do, that we're building on something really positive. Of course, the results in the last camp weren't exactly what we wanted, but the performances in the main were very good, and it feels like we're definitely moving in the right direction. Of course, every game is important. Every game is massive, and it's brilliant to be a part of that for both club and country - high pressure, high stakes. That's what you want as a player."
Jason Davidson
"Each game should be a match where you think that you have to win. You go out there to win. So for me, these next two games, we're going out there for six points. But the first thing is that we've got Thursday against Indonesia, at home, on home soil. So we have to go out there and believe in ourselves, believe in the system, and go out there and try to win."
MATCH DETAILS
Subway Socceroos v Indonesia
Thursday, 20 March 2025
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 8.00pm AEDT
Tickets: Available via Ticketek
Broadcast: 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
What's Next?
China PR v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday 25 March 2025
Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Hangzhou
Kick-off: 7.00pm local / 10.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+