Ryan: I have full belief in myself and in my teammates

Taryn Heddo 1748840487,1748878843

Subway Socceroos captain and goalkeeper Maty Ryan said that the FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifier against Japan on Thursday evening is “massive”.

He spoke to media on Monday morning in Perth where the team is preparing to take on their top-ranked Asian opposition.

He also touched on his focus on the job at hand, his confidence ahead of the game, and how the more experienced players in the squad pass on the knowledge of what it takes to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

Importance of the game against Japan

They're all important games, but in the context of where we are at this stage of the qualification, it's a massive game. We're excited to be here in Perth and looking forward to a big crowd, and to go out and do the job.

Focus on the job at hand

Anything they [Japan] do doesn’t impact my confidence. I'm just focused on what we do here, and focused on what we can control. That's the advice I received as a young kid growing up - focusing on what you can control. So we're just obviously trying to work hard.

Importance of Abu Dhabi Camp

I don't think everyone grasps the concept of being a national team. Playing international football, you don't always get that time to work on your relationships. We go the majority of the year working with a different coach with different ideas and a different tactical approach, and then you go away for an international weekend. It's normally 10 days at a time throughout the season, and you obviously have got to adapt and adjust as quick as you can to their philosophies and how they want us to play.

So to have those two weeks in Abu Dhabi to work together and understand in more detail how the coaching staff wants to play - to give us the best possible chance to get these wins in these games to qualify - is time we got to make the most of.

Belief and confidence

In my eyes, we're the best in Asia. If you don't believe you're the best, then you're failing at the first hurdle. You’ve got to go out there and believe that you can overcome whatever challenge is in front of you. There’s a fine line, without being arrogant and being complacent or anything like that. We obviously respect every opposition that we play against. But I have full belief in myself, and in my teammates, that we can go out there and do the job.

Qualification feeling

It's a difficult one to find words to describe the ecstasy of it. As a footballer, there's no more meaningful moment than a World Cup qualification. There are a few of us boys in here that have tasted that in the past. That just feeds your hunger and motivation to want more of it. We do our best - for the guys that haven't been to a World Cup before - to tell stories and share experiences to try and further motivate them and educate them on what it takes to get there. There are no easy games in football. We’re all where we need to be at the moment, we're in a good place. We're feeling confident, and we've got to go out there and do the job.

SUBWAY SOCCEROOS’ FIXTURES | JUNE FIFA MEN’S INTERNATIONAL WINDOW

Subway Socceroos v Japan
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Perth Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 7.00pm local / 9.00pm AEST
Tickets: Available via Ticketmaster
Broadcast: 10, 10 Play and Paramount+

Saudi Arabia v Subway Socceroos
Tuesday 10 June 2025
King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah
Kick-off: 9.15pm local / 4.15am AEST
Broadcast: Paramount+