Tony Popovic named new Socceroos head coach, replacing Graham Arnold

Football Australia has announced that Tony Popovic is the new Socceroos manager. The former Melbourne Victory boss takes over from Graham Arnold, who resigned on Friday after a poor start to Australia’s World Cup Qualifying campaign. The Socceroos have earned just one point from their first two qualifying matches.

Tony Popovic appointed

After six years in charge, the Graham Arnold era with the Socceroos is over. The 61-year-old Aussie stepped down on Friday. Football Australia (FA) wasted no time announcing his replacement: Tony Popovic.
 
“Football Australia today confirmed the permanent appointment of Tony Popovic as the new head coach of the Subway Socceroos,” the FA said in a statement on Monday.
 
“A highly respected figure in Australian football, Popovic brings an impressive depth of experience in both domestic and international football. His achievements include coaching Western Sydney Wanderers FC to the AFC Champions League title in 2014 and winning two A-League Premierships.
 
“He is now tasked with guiding the Subway Socceroos toward qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Popovic’s appointment extends through the FIFA World Cup 2026, marking a new era for the national team,” the statement continued.
 
Popovic’s last job was with the Melbourne Victory, where he led them to an Australia Cup win in 2020. He also guided them to an A-League Finals appearance in 2024.

World Cup Qualifying turnaround needed

With an expanded World Cup coming in 2026, Australia seemed like a lock to qualify for the World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico in 2026. After the first two matches of World Cup Qualifying, though, it is looking less likely.
 
The Socceroos failed to win their first two games of their AFC World Cup Qualifying Round 3 group. The first match was a 1-0 loss against Bahrain at home before 25,000 fans at the Robina Stadium in Gold Coast. Australia then followed that up with a  0-0 draw against Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
 
Australia were huge betting sites favourites to win both those matches. The soccer betting world still expects the Socceroos to make it to the World Cup, with many sites actually offering long-shot bets on Australia to win the cup, but it will be a lot tougher for the Socceroos now after those first two results.

The Socceroos’ next fixture is another World Cup Qualifying match. Popovic and his Australia side will take on China at the Adelaide Oval on 10 October. Like in the first two qualifiers, Australia will be big favourites to win this match.