EVERY FOUR YEARS for the duration of the FIFA World Cup, club allegiances are put on hold, rivalries soften and billions of people share in one of the few truly global experiences. Expanded to 48 teams and spread across three host nations, the 2026 edition will be the largest tournament in the competition’s history and promises to make the world cup an even bigger spectacle than it already is.
For Australia, it comes at a time when the national team is in transition. The Socceroos’ squad is younger than in previous years, with coach Tony Popovic bringing forward the next generation. Expectations remain measured. Although, drawn into a relatively balanced group with a squad brimming with potential, there is a growing sense that this team could surprise a few people.
Few have had a front-row seat to football’s changing landscape quite like Claudio Fabiano. A former youth prospect and current semi-pro who turned to content creation after injury curtailed his playing ambitions, Fabiano has become one of the football’s most recognisable Australian voices. He now joins SBS as a live presenter for the broadcaster’s world cup coverage.
Ahead of kick-off, we sat down with Fabiano to discuss the Socceroos’ prospects, the nations most likely to lift the trophy, the teams capable of producing a fairytale run and whether Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo might finally cross paths on the world cup stage.
From what we’ve seen from the Socceroos recently, are you optimistic about our chances heading into this World Cup?
It’s a different vibe to usual. Tony Popovic took over halfway through this qualifying campaign, brought in a lot of fresh young talent and I think we have this energy going forward that we haven’t had for a long time. Names like Nestory Irankunda, Mo Toure, Riley McGree, these guys are super creative, young, they’re personalities on and off the field. They’re really cool characters and they’re not afraid to express themselves. These are the type of players we need: mavericks.
So win, lose or draw, we’re going to watch a team full of players that are going to excite. But at the last World Cup no one expected us to get very far with that squad. We won two games in a row, got through the round of 16, pushed Argentina to the very end. So anything is possible.
The new 48-team structure of the world cup means the groups are a bit more balanced. We don’t have a France, Spain or Brazil in our group like we’ve had in past tournaments. Do you think that changes things for the Socceroos?
It’s going to be strange to not be the minnows at a world cup, but I don’t think we necessarily have a better chance of getting out of this group than what we’ve had in years past. Paraguay are significantly lower ranked than us, but they’re a very good team. The USA playing at home, they’re going to have massive expectations on them. And I think we start with the hardest team, Turkey. They’ve got players playing for some of the top teams in the world. If we can get a result out of that first game, I think it opens things up for us.
What would you consider a passing grade for this Socceroos team?
It’s going to be a tricky group to get out of because there are no easy wins, but I think getting out of the group would be a success and could be called a pass.
Are there any particular players that you’re excited to see that you think will shine on the big stage?
I’m a defender myself, and seeing the rise of Alessandro Circati has been great. For Palma over in Serie A, he’s playing against some of the biggest clubs in the world. I’m excited to see him lead our defence.
In the front line, Nestory Irankunda and Mo Toure have the potential to be gamechangers. Then on the wings, Jordy Bos has become one of the best players in the Eredivisie. With him on the left and Jacob Italiano on the right, we’ve got a really attacking-minded approach which I think will be a pleasure to watch.
Back in 2006, most of the Socceroos squad was playing in Europe, and not just playing in Europe, but playing in the top five leagues. Now, the most common leagues for the Aussies are the English second division, the A-League and MLS. Do you think that’s a case of the rest of the world catching up, or has the calibre of Australian players declined?
It’s an interesting topic. I’ve spoken to a few British players that have played in the Premier League, and they’ve said that the political landscape has changed. Once upon a time, it was a lot easier for Australians to get a work permit in England than it was for an African, a South American, or an Asian player. Now those top leagues have opened up to the rest of the world, and Australians are now competing on level playing field with everyone else. So no, I don’t necessarily think that this generation of players have declined.
This is why it’s more important than ever to grow your own domestic league. If the A-League was at the level of a Turkish Süper Lig, the Dutch Eredivisie, or the Belgian Pro League where we’re paying players sufficiently and we’ve got good facilities, the level of talent would grow massively. I think it should be normal to have 16 out of 26 players in the squad be playing in your local league, and then only your 10 stars are from top leagues. Unfortunately, the A-League’s not quite at that level yet.
Obviously we would love it if Australia were to win the World Cup, but that is a long shot. What teams stand out to you as the real contenders?
Look, the favourites are France, and rightfully so. France have three teams that would be good enough to top a group at a world cup. They’ve got over 30 players that could easily start in any other team. It’s crazy. But that doesn’t always mean success. When you’re in a bubble with the same players every day, there’s an element of chemistry that you can’t predict because these are all human beings that have to live together, and sometimes it doesn’t gel. We’ve seen French teams in the past fail. So even though they have the best team on paper, I don’t think it’s straightforward.
Spain won the Euros – they’re an incredible team. I think Brazil could make a return to the highest level because they’ve got a brilliant coach and a great generation of players. Then let’s go with Portugal making a challenge as well.
Do you think there are any dark horses or outsiders that could surprise people and make a run, à la Morocco in 2022 or Croatia in 2018?
I think Senegal are a great team. They’ve played the last two World Cups together. They’ve played plenty of AFCONs. I think that they could go on a great run.
And Japan, it’s their time. At the last two World Cups, they’ve been incredible in the group stage and then they’ve fallen in the round of 16. I think this is their big breakthrough and they could make a run all the way to the final four.
Don’t write off the USA at home, either. I know they’re in our group, but they’ve got great players and I think something’s going to click for them. Host nations tend to find another gear.
The world cup is bigger than ever. We’ve got more teams and more host countries. Are you expecting this tournament to feel a lot different than previous World Cups?
No, I don’t think so. Once it gets going, the magic of a world cup takes over.
What happens on the field is amazing, but it’s not about that, it’s about what happens off the field. It’s about people from different cultures swapping gifts, swapping jerseys. Club football is amazing, but it’s so tribal. And when you go watch an international tournament, you realise how much fun it is. It’s this cultural celebration where it’s a lot more friendly in the stands. I really hope, especially given what’s going on in the world at the moment, that football will bring some celebration and unity.
This is most likely going to be Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s last world cup. A lot of people are dreaming of the fabled Portugal vs Argentina world cup final. Do you think there’s any chance of that happening?
Well, if both teams top their group, which should happen, they’ll meet in the quarterfinals. So they probably won’t meet in the final but we could finally see them match up at a world cup. I think that would be a dream matchup. That game would be watched by everyone around the world.
The FIFA World Cup 26™ is live, free & exclusively on SBS and SBS On Demand from June 12-July 20.
