Australia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Australia

Nickname(s)	Socceroos
Association	Football Federation Australia
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Graham Arnold
Captain	Mark Milligan
Most caps	Mark Schwarzer (109)
Top scorer	Tim Cahill (50)
FIFA code	AUS
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	42 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	14 (September 2009)
Lowest	102 (November 2014)
Elo ranking
Current	45 10 (3 March 2019)
Highest	9 (14 August 2001)
Lowest	75 (November 1965)
First international
New Zealand 3–1 Australia  (Dunedin, New Zealand; 17 June 1922)
Biggest win
Australia 31–0 American Samoa  (Coffs Harbour, Australia; 11 April 2001) (World record for senior international matches)
Biggest defeat
Australia 0–8 South Africa  (Adelaide, Australia; 17 September 1955)
World Cup
Appearances	5 (first in 1974)
Best result	Round of 16 (2006)
Asian Cup
Appearances	4 (first in 2007)
Best result	Champions (2015)
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 1980)
Best result	Champions (1980, 1996, 2000, 2004)
Copa América
Appearances	1 (first in 2020)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	4 (first in 1997)
Best result	Runners-up (1997)

Socceroo captain, Mark Viduka

Australia national football team is the national football team of Australia. Its official nickname is "the Socceroos". The team is under the control of the Football Federation Australia (FFA), which is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. It has also been invited to join the ASEAN Football Federation. Australia's Youth teams play in the ASEAN Youth Tournaments. Australia has been the Oceania Football Confederation champion four times, and has been at three World Cup finals tournaments, in 1974, 2006 and 2010. FIFA Rankings show the Australian National Football team is one of the strongest countries in Asia, and is currently ranked 20th in the world by FIFA. Australia made it to the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup held in Germany and were knocked out in controversial circumstances by eventual champions Italy. Australia's 2010 world cup finals campaign was also blighted by controversial and mostly incorrect refereeing decisions and lead to the teams eventual elimination in the group stages despite a 2-1 win over a higher ranked Serbian team and a draw against Ghana. Australia will now prepare for the Asian cup in early 2011 and the 2014 world cup qualification.

Most appearances

Top scorers

2010 World Cup

The Socceroos 2010 World Cup Squad, coached by Pim Verbeek, includes the following players:

• James Holland
• David Carney
• Shane Lowry
• Rhys Williams
• Michael Beauchamp
• Josh Kennedy
• Mile Jedinak
• Dario Vidosic
• Nikita Rukavytsya
• Richard Garcia
• Brett Holman
• Carl Valeri
• Brett Emerton
• Brad Jones
• Mark Schwarzer
• Adam Federici
• Eugene Galekovic
• Mark Milligan
• Jade North
• Luke Wilkshire
• Nick Carle
• Jason Culina
• Mark Bresciano
• Vince Grella
• Tim Cahill
• Lucas Neill
• Harry Kewell
• Craig Moore
• Scott Chipperfield
• Scott McDonald
• Tim Oar

Images for kids

• 

  The first Australia team playing New Zealand in 1922

• 

  Australia playing Uruguay at Stadium Australia to determine the last qualifying spots for the 2006 World Cup.

• 

  Australia against Germany in Moses Mabhida Stadium, at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

• 

  Australia match against Kuwait in 2015 AFC Asian Cup opening match

• 

  Socceroos livery on a Qantas 747–400

• 

  One of the matches of the 2006 World Cup was a group stage match between Australia and Japan at Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

• 

  Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is the most capped player in the history of Australia with 109 caps.

• 

  Tim Cahill is Australia's top scorer with 50 goals.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Australia para niños