ESPN's Socceroos Cup Diaries has all you need to know about Australia's journey in North America, all in one place. Join Joey Lynch and Alex Hatzikostas as they go behind the scenes in the Socceroos camp and give the inside word on all the action at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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June 8: Earning the trust of Tony Popovic
ALAMEDA, California -- One of Socceroos boss Tony Popovic's biggest things is trust; of being confident in his players to meet the standards that he sets and execute what he needs them to. And this has only been magnified heading into a World Cup.
Given how intense his approach can be, and how exacting his benchmarks are, not every player is capable of earning it, and some simply aren't wired in a way that allows them to respond to his methods. Those who can pass his muster, however, find that they receive significant loyalty from a coach who memorably declared in a Melbourne Victory-produced Dream Big documentary, "When I see in someone's eyes, 'I want to get better every day,' I'll do anything for you, anything... but give me the wrong attitude, you're gone for me."
Paul Izzo, who has now worked with Popovic at Xanthi, Victory, and the Socceroos, is one such example. So, too, is Nishan Velupilay, who has been under his charge at both Victory and the national team.
"I wish I had met him earlier in my career," Izzo said on Monday. "He challenges me a lot, not just on the pitch, but I think off the pitch, as a professional, and even just as a man. For that, I'm extremely grateful. He's a coach that I tend to really respond well with. Sometimes it may seem quite intense [but] that's what I prefer. Who knows where I could have been had I had him early on in my career?"
Indeed, one of the recurring themes that has emerged from interviews with players throughout their World Cup preparation is the sense of confidence they've taken from the backing they've felt from Popovic. And Velupilay, whose selection raised eyebrows in Australia but who has consistently performed for the coach in Green and Gold, feels that more than most.
"Every player wants a coach who believes in them," he said. "He said it, the 26 that he's picked here, he believes in all of us. That's something that will grow as we play. If we can take that into these games, you'll see a different level of this team."
June 7: Blowing out the candles in Socceroos camp
BERKELEY, California - The Socceroos celebrated not one, but two birthdays in camp on Sunday, with midfielder Cameron Devlin and Australian team chef Vini Capovilla - something of a cult hero amongst both the Socceroos and Matildas - marking another lap around the sun at the team's base-camp in Northern California.
Fortunately for the pair, the team's 1-1 draw against Switzerland on Saturday meant that the day was earmarked as a recovery one for the Australians, ensuring that, while there was still plenty to be done, it didn't carry quite the same intensity as one as the training days being logged ahead of their opening World Cup fixture against Türkiye.
"It's pretty special," said Devlin. "The day goes on as normal. Obviously, I'm calling back home and speaking to all my friends and family, my girlfriend. We had a game yesterday, so today's about recovery and doing all the right things, so it's a bit less full on as maybe a training day. Pretty cool to be having a birthday at a World Cup. I never thought I'd say that.
"[He and Capovilla have] shared a few birthdays over the years. I think our last one was in Bangladesh together, so this is a little bit better, being over here in the sun."
Given coach Tony Popovic's somewhat fearsome reputation for nutrition and the finer details, it would seem unlikely that cake would be on the menu for Devlin and his teammates. The Hearts midfielder, though, thought Capovilla might have it on the menu.
"I think there might be a cake, but I don't think it'll be for us boys, I'm not sure," Devlin laughed. "It's just cool to be cool to be spending it with everyone here..
"I don't go around telling everyone they kind of see it online or whatever, and wish me a happy birthday. It's such a good group, it's a big Socceroos family - players and staff. The boss [Popovic] wished me a happy birthday. It's super cool."
June 6: Positional battles arise from Socceroos final World Cup preparation
SAN DIEGO, California - Drawing 1-1 with Switzerland, the Socceroos concluded their World Cup preparations in a manner instilling guarded enthusiasm on Saturday; starting slowly but eventually showing enough to suggest that, if they keep games tight, they can take points off anyone in Group D. Coach Tony Popovic rotated seven players in his XI, emphasising the need to get minutes into legs and prepare for the three games ahead. Nonetheless, even in this somewhat experimental setup, observations could be made.
Down back, for instance, Cameron Burgess helped instigate Tete Yengi's equaliser and, defensively, looked confident and assured. While Lucas Herrington has started the last two games, Popovic's repeated references to load management - nobody in this side played more minutes than Burgess domestically - and the relatively plug-and-play chemistry the Swansea man has with Harry Souttar and Alessandro Circati suggests he's a chance to start against Türkiye.
At right wing-back, Jacob Italiano's natural affinity for the role was visible when he came on and, combined with Kai Trewin's struggles at the position in the first-half - the New York City FC man looked much more comfortable when shifted to a six role - his importance was reiterated. On the opposite flank, meanwhile, Aziz Behich was yet again one of the Roos best but, simultaneously and almost paradoxically, the absence of Jordan Bos and the blur of pace, muscle, and intent he offers as an outlet was apparent during the Roos' challenging opening period.
Further ahead, debutant Cristian Volpato had a few nice touches and looked more comfortable when he started to get between the lines following the first-half hydration break, but he also very much looked like a bloke that had just met his teammates for the first time a week ago and, as Popovic observed, needing to bring up his conditioning. He'll require time to get up to speed and, with Connor Metcalfe assisting Yengi and being one of Australia's best when he came on, he's likely going to get it.
But perhaps the two biggest questions of the week will be the midfield mix and if Nestory Irankunda starts against Türkiye. On the latter, the 20-year-old took a while to find his footing but was Australia's most explosive player while on the park, with his seven turnovers won comfortably a career high - Lynch
June 5: Volpato, Yengi in line for debuts against Swiss
SAN DIEGO, California -- Tony Popovic has a few ideas that he wants to test against the Swiss at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, as well as several players that he wants to get further minutes into ahead of their opening World Cup fixture against Türkiye. And this latter contingent, he indicated in his press-game remarks, could include uncapped attacking duo Cristian Volpato and Tete Yengi.
Neither Volapto or Yengi saw the field in the Socceroos' 1-0 loss to Mexico at the Rose Bowl last week, with the former only having just got off a plane after his sensational switch from Italy to Australia and the latter's training load still being managed after a busy few months with J1 League powers Machida Zelvia. That didn't stop Popovic from naming either in his 26-player squad the following day, however.
And with plenty of attention on Volpato, how he'll fit into how the Socceroos and how he'll intergrate into a tightknit dressing room, Popovic indicated he's seen enough of him on the training track this week to bring him into line for minutes.
"He's been a bit behind with his fitness, but he looked quite good today; probably the best he's looked, I'd say, in terms of free, in terms of his movement," said Popovic. "So if everything's okay tomorrow, I'm sure he'll get some game time.
"We've just got to get him fit. He hasn't played a lot of football, and he had eight to nine days off before he joined us. So, if I compare him to the group, he's probably at the bottom in terms of his conditioning right now. But he's working hard, he's trying to get up to speed, and we've seen some good inroads in the last couple of days."
Yengi, meanwhile, has also been working well on the training track over the past week, putting into place the lessons that a nomadic footballing career has brought him.
"He's come in and he had a lot more game time than Christian," Popovic said of Yengi. "We tried to bring his loads quite low, because he really had a busy schedule playing a lot of games -- a lot of minutes in every three or four days, and that's something he wasn't accustomed to until he got to Japan. So we just tried to keep him healthy and strong. The last couple of days he looks like he's starting to get into his rhythm, and yeah, hopefully we can give him some minutes tomorrow." -- Joey Lynch
June 4: "I never lost belief in myself" -- Devlin gets another World Cup chance
ALAMEDA, California - For a while, it wasn't looking like the World Cup was going to happen for Cammy Devlin. He was in brilliant form for Hearts - arguably the Scottish Premiership's player of the season heading into the new year -- but two windows had passed with him getting called into the Socceroos, only to fail to see the field. Then he picked up an ankle injury in January that ruled him out of contention for the March international window. Then, after returning to play, he picked up a strain that sidelined him once more, forcing him to miss an Edinburgh Derby.
It would have been easy to lose hope at that point; to feel that fate was conspiring against you and that it simply wasn't going to happen. And it wasn't unfair analysis to consider him a very long shot of making the final 26-player squad, especially when he didn't feature against Mexico in the final fixture before coach Tony Popovic ultimately made his final call. Devlin, though, kept the faith and was rewarded when he was revealed as one of the 26.
"I knew how badly I wanted to be here," Devlin told ESPN. "I was just desperate to be involved, and I just worked as hard as I could. I never lost belief in myself, because I've got to where I am today by working hard and really believing in myself and doing everything I can to achieve my dreams. I kept my head down, and was fortunate enough to be included in the pre-camp, and then I just told myself 'just do what you do, work hard, and see where it leaves you', and fortunately enough for me, it's yeah, I've got selected in the final 26."
Devlin is now at his second World Cup in North America, previously serving as an unused member of Graham Arnold's squad at the 2022 iteration in Qatar. And he's determined to do what he can to get on the park this time.
"I remember watching with my dad and my little brother, all the World Cups waking up early mornings, and now to be here is surreal," he said. "I've been fortunate enough to go to one before, so to be able to say I'm going to my second World Cup is something I never thought I'd be able to say. It's something that I don't take for granted. I'm chomping at the bit... I'm so excited and grateful to be given this opportunity by the boss and the staff, and I want to grab it by both hands. I'll work as hard as I can, do everything in my power to give the boss a headache to play my part as much as I can." -- Joey Lynch
June 3: Geria gets a World Cup chance under Popovic
Jason Geria has had to be patient. For eight years, the defender found himself in the international wilderness, debuting for the Socceroos in 2016 when Ange Postecoglou picked him for a friendly against Greece, only for his phone to then fall silent. He felt that his form over that stretch had justified another look-in, but that elusive recall never came.
That was until Tony Popovic was named Socceroos coach. The new national team boss had worked with the defender at Melbourne Victory and knew what he was capable of. A call-up for qualifiers against China and Japan followed, and after coming on at half-time against China in Adelaide, Geria established himself as a fixture in Popovic's squads. And now, his persistence has paid off; one of Australian football's good guys is at the World Cup.
"I'm still processing it," Geria said. "I couldn't quite believe it for a little bit. It's been two days, and it's been incredible, being here, being at base camp, the hotel and processing that I'm part of something that I've worked for for such a long time. I'm a fan of this as well. I watched all these World Cups when I was a kid and always dreamed of being a part of one. So being here is just unbelievable."
Between his time at Victory and the national team, Geria has been working under Popovic for half a decade. Especially in the modern game, that's a long time for any relationship between a coach and player, let alone a coach with the exacting demands of the Socceroos boss. But the 33-year-old feels he's thrived in this environment.
"It either works, or it doesn't," Geria said. "There's no grey area. He demands a lot out of you, and he wants to work you to your complete maximum. There's players that don't really like that, there's players that can't handle that, and then there's other players who he gets the best out of. And I think I'm one of those. He's constantly pushing and, at times, has had more belief in me than I've had in myself. That's something incredible, something that's allowed me to be the best version of myself."
June 2: A day of rest for the Socceroos in Oaktown
After a whirlwind few days that have seen them jet from Florida, to Los Angeles, and, finally, the Bay Area, the Socceroos had the day off on Tuesday -- probably the final one they'll get between now and the end of their World Cup campaign. They'll return to the training track on Wednesday in front of a collection of local Oakland Roots and Oakland Soul supporters who won a ballot to get a chance to see them get put through their paces, in addition to getting a chance to get photos and autographs after the session ends. Who knows, some of the locals might even get to rub shoulders with new viral sensation Kai Trewin.
But while the Oakland locals have been keen to welcome the Australians with open arms, Tony Popovic's side are expecting a much more hostile reception when they travel to Seattle in a few weeks' time to face tournament co-hosts the United States. Fortunately for Harry Souttar and Co., though, their clash with Mexico in Los Angeles, in which close to all 78,479 fans in the Rose Bowl stands were supporting El Tri, they've been able to prepare for unfriendly confines.
"The atmosphere was incredible, like it was a few years ago in Dallas," Souttar said of the Mexico clash. "We're obviously going to face that type of atmosphere in the second game, against the United States, with the home crowd advantage.
"It's probably just one of those things that when the crowd's loud like that and you're trying to yell to players and instructions to players ... the good teams, you don't need to [yell and be heard over the crowd] because they already know their jobs, they know their roles, you know their responsibilities, and where to be."
June 1: Volpato looks to lay down Roots with the Socceroos
After landing the previous day, the Socceroos trained at their training base in Oakland for the first time on Monday, hitting the grass at the former facility of the Oakland Raiders and the current home of USL side the Oakland Roots and USL W League outfit the Oakland Soul.
Having only touched down on Saturday after confirmation of his shock switch from Italy to Australia, the session marked the first time that Cristian Volpato trained with his new teammates, with the 22-year-old a full participant in drills. It's an unusual situation, being named in a nation's World Cup squad before you've even completed a training session with them, and the Sassuolo attacker is one of two uncapped players in the squad that were tapped by Tony Popovic -- the other being well-travelled striker Tete Yengi.
"Really nice guys. They seem chill -- most boys are here," said Mathew Leckie, who was on a reduced training load alongside the other starters from Saturday's 1-0 friendly loss to Mexico. "They bring different qualities, and they're here for a reason.
"The boss obviously sees something where they can help us. They both can bring different strengths to the team.
"[Leckie's seen] obviously just today, but [Volpato] looked really good, sharp, tidy. He's another left-footed addition, which is always nice."
May 31: Leckie rides again in Socceroos World Cup squad
When 2026 began, we weren't sure if Mathew Leckie was going to play for Melbourne City again during the A-League Men season, let alone push for selection in the Socceroos' squad for the World Cup. And while he was able to rehab hip surgery undertaken in an attempt to address the underlying cause of his persistent soft-tissue injuries, the veteran was the first to downplay any kind of Copa Mundial charge when he made his return to City.
But after finishing the A-League season strongly, impressing in a brutal near one-month training camp in Sarasota, and logging his first national team appearance in 718 days against Mexico, Leckie was named to a fourth World Cup on Sunday -- both he and goalkeeper Mathew Ryan are set to equal Tim Cahill and Mark Milligan for the most ever appearances by an Australian man.
"A couple of months ago, god knows what he was thinking in terms of his football, with all the injuries that he's had," Popovic said of Leckie. "He's stayed very true to himself, in terms of his fitness and staying strong. And then he played that wonderful game in the [A-League Men] finals, and we offered him the opportunity to come in the early group [to Sarasota]. And I'm sure if he didn't do that, there's no way he'd be selected today.
"The luxury of Mathew Leckie is that he can play anywhere. He has the experience and maturity that you don't need a week or two of training in a position with him. You can basically show him a video, and he would know what to do. That's a luxury of having someone with his quality."
May 30: A game of two halves as Socceroos fall to Mexico
The bad news is that Australia has fallen to a 1-0 defeat against Mexico in their penultimate fixture before the FIFA World Cup, with Johan Vásquez's 28th-minute header lowlighting a poor start that they ultimately couldn't overcome.
- Read: Lack of goals concerning as Socceroos battle to hard-fought loss
The good news is that the Socceroos put forth a vastly improved performance in the second half and probably created more, better chances to score across the 90 minutes, only to fail to find the clinical edge they needed. In the view of coach Tony Popovic, that improvement offers a platform that can be built upon in their final pre-tournament fixture with Switzerland next week, as well as something that can give his side confidence.
"The players just need to believe a little bit more," Popovic said post-game. "We had the two best chances of the game. You're not going to get many chances in football. It's the World Cup you're preparing for; you don't get many chances. They didn't have a clear chance, but they scored from the corner."
May 29: Volpato sends shockwave through Socceroos
Cristian Volpato's imminent arrival into Socceroo camp has seized control of the narrative in the buildup to the Socceroos friendly with Mexico on Saturday evening, with Tony Popovic set to finalise his 26-player squad in the hours following.
While none of their journeys have approached the same level of saga as Volpato's, several members of the squad had dual eligibility at the time of their Socceroo debut, including defender Harry Souttar, whose brother John has been selected to represent Scotland at this year's tournament.
"From what I've seen, he's a very good player," Souttar said of Volpato. "There are, myself included, a lot of players in that team who have represented other countries from different age groups.
"Obviously, he's made a decision, and it's one that certainly all the lads are really looking forward to meeting him and getting him into camp, getting training, getting playing.
"He's going to make us a better team, simple as that. I look forward to seeing him."
Amid saying that he saw no downsides in bringing in Volpato, as well as batting away questions on the reasons and timeframe surrounding the switch, Popovic declared he had a fully fit squad for the clash with El Tri and the hostile 75,000 supporters they'll have at their backs.
May 28: Rose Bowl sells out as Socceroos relocate to the West Coast
After hitting the training track in Florida one final time, the Socceroos traded the Gulf Coast for the West Coast on Thursday, jetting into Los Angeles ahead of their pre-World Cup hitout against Mexico on Saturday. Set to be played at the iconic Rose Bowl, the site of the 1994 World Cup final, match organisers announced on Thursday that the game was set to sell out, with 75,000 largely Mexican supporting fans to pack into the venue and provide the Socceroos with a loud, hostile atmosphere.
Given that some players and staff have spent nearly a month in Sarasota, the change in scenery is probably a welcome one for the Australians, but Popovic told ESPN that he had yet to see any signs of cabin fever.
"Sometimes when you're in a camp environment, you can be in certain places where you feel after seven, eight, ten days, you've got to the end point, and you need to get out of there," Popovic said. "But Sarasota itself, the hotel, the people, this set-up we've got here at IMG, it's flown by. Some of the staff and players have been here longer than me, and they seem to still have a lot of energy enjoying the place. I think that's a good sign.
"We've seen everyone very positive and not feeling as though it's kind of dragged on. We've tried to balance the work and rest as well, and give the staff and players time off whenever we can to enjoy the beautiful city we're in. So it's been really good on all fronts."
May 27: Socceroos shift focus to Mexico friendly
The Socceroos' time in Florida is coming to an end, with the squad staging their penultimate training session as their thoughts start to turn to Saturday's friendly against Mexico at California's famous Rose Bowl -- one final chance to impress coach Tony Popovic before he finalises his 26-player squad.
The session at IMG Academy marked the first time that the eight players who flew into Florida on Monday had a chance to hit the training track with their teammates, with familiar faces such as Mathew Ryan and Alessandro Circati taking up their places alongside uncapped bolter Tete Yengi.
"It's part of the plan," Popovic told ESPN. "We still have time, so [preparation is] certainly not finished at this point. We've got some new players that have come in that have just finished [their seasons], and this will be their first session today.
"We've got today and tomorrow morning before we fly to LA, so hopefully by the time we get there, in cooler conditions, they will have settled."
May 26: Socceroos take a moment as final squad selection looms
The Socceroos enjoyed a rare morning off on Tuesday, with the 21 players that were already on the ground in Florida afforded the chance to rest and recuperate after another intense week on the training track. For the eight that joined Tony Popovic's training squad, it was chance to acclimate after flying in across the previous 24 hours.
With just the 29 players still on the ground in Sarasota, Popovic will need to whittle down his group by a further three before he can submit his final squad for the World Cup to FIFA on June 1, with one of the four goalkeepers -- almost certainly either Patrick Beach or Joe Gauci -- set to make way alongside two outfielders. Saturday's game against Mexico at the famous Rose Bowl certainly looms large over these battles.
The dreams of those sent home -- or not summoned to camp at all -- appear over, spare a rash of injuries requiring the summoning of emergency reinforcements in the days ahead.
For a full list of who remains in Socceroos camp, and who has departed, head ESPN's full breakdown of the Socceroos' World Cup training camp in Florida.
May 25: Worst fears confirmed for McGree, eight more arrivals
The Socceroos' worst fears were confirmed on Monday afternoon when it was revealed that attacker Riley McGree was set to miss the World Cup with the injury he picked up in Middlesbrough's playoff final loss to Hull City.
A near-certain starter had he been fit, the South Australian's injury, beyond being a devastating personal blow, will serve to completely change the dynamics of the Socceroos attack, with the likes of Mat Leckie, Nishan Velupillay, Connor Metcalfe, and Awer Mabil coming into focus as potential replacements in the inverted winger role that McGree filled so well.
Mabil, for his part, was one of the eight players named as final additions to the camp on Monday, alongside skipper Mathew Ryan, Alessandro Circati, Lucas Herrington, Kai Trewin, Kye Rowles, Paul Okon Jr, and late bolter Tete Yengi.
Announced as departing Florida, meanwhile, were Dylan Leonard, Anthony Cáceres, Daniel Bennie, Ante Šuto, Mitch Duke, Gianni Stensness, Alex Robertson, and Raphael Borges Rodrigues.
In being absent from the final round of call-ups, the World Cup hopes of the likes of Max Balard, Deni Juric, Fran Karačić, Eli Adams, and Craig Goodwin would also, heartbreakingly, appear done.
May 24: Socceroos go behind closed doors
The mood in Socceroos camp significantly shifted on Sunday after the team saw McGree limp off in Middlesbrough's playoff final loss. The 27-year-old shapes as a near-certain starter if fit, but national team staff continued to await the results of scans on the playmaker's hamstring.
Out on the pitch, Tony Popovic's efforts to zero in on his final 26-man squad took another step forward with the Socceroos playing a closed, controlled training fixture against local opposition -- much of the training game no doubt focused on Australia's attacking stocks, following McGree's injury and Nicholas D'Agostino's withdrawal from camp.
The 26 should come into greater focus in coming days when the Socceroos announce another six or so arrivals to camp, as well as the first non-injury related departures. Figures such as Matt Ryan and Alessandro Circati are obvious, but with 10 players that were part of the squad in March still absent, we're guaranteed some surprises -- and no doubt some heartaches -- in the days ahead.
May 23: On the ground in Sarasota
What's that? Two more people have been added to the Socceroos' pre-World Cup training camp in Florida!? No, it's not a pair of wonderkids plucked from the depths of NPL Victoria, it's ESPN's Joey Lynch and Alex Hatzikostas!
Each day, we'll bring you the latest and greatest in the form of ESPN's Socceroos Cup Diaries, and there's already plenty to discuss. Veteran Socceroos Jackson Irvine, Mathew Leckie and Harry Souttar were full participants in training on Saturday as they look to prove their form and fitness before coach Tony Popovic names his squad on June 1.
The side has suffered a blow, however, after confirmation that D'Agostino has withdrawn from camp with a leg injury that will dash his hopes of making the final 26-man squad.
A further collection of players is expected to fly in over the coming days, but Popovic and his staff are also now facing an anxious wait to find out if McGree will be one of them after he limped off with an apparent hamstring injury in Middlesbrough's playoff final loss to Hull City.