AAP Soccer

Young Socceroos want more from World Cup pushes

By Anna Harrington

Jul 5, 2026

Australia's Nestory Irankunda — Nestory Irankunda vows to help Australia go a step further in four years after their World Cup exit. -AP

Fuelled by disappointment and a burning belief they could have gone further at the World Cup, the youthful Socceroos are setting their sights on 2030.

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A heartbreaking loss to Egypt on Friday (Saturday AEST) ended their World Cup journey in the round of 32.

Australia's hunt for a maiden men's knockout win goes on after the Socceroos lost their first shootout at the World Cup finals 4-2, with the score locked at 1-1 at fulltime and extra time.

Eight of Australia's players are 23 or under, including dynamo Nestory Irankunda, and should form the core of the team pushing for 2030."I always believed and to get knocked out now is really disappointing, because I thought we could have achieved more," Irankunda said.

"I thought we could have went further. I had the belief in all the players. It's just disappointing, and I feel like that's the bar - playing in the knockouts, that's where Australia should be.

"We should be pushing for more than that ... It's disappointing, and I feel like we can do better."

Of the 26, there will likely be some retirements.

This was clearly Mathew Leckie's last World Cup and for all his longevity and reliability, Aziz Behich (35) may also have taken his final bow.

It is also hard to see Jason Geria (33) and Jackson Irvine (33) there in four years, while Paul Izzo (31), Awer Mabil (30) and Ajdin Hrustic (29) may also be up against it.

But the likes of Lucas Herrington (18), Irankunda (20), Jordan Bos (23), Mohamed Toure (22) should be in this core.

Defender Alessandro Circati, 22, doesn't want to look too far forward yet.

"Well, personally, it was my first one, so it was a great learning experience," Circati said.

"It was a dream come true.

"I'm sure I've got many World Cups ahead of me, so now most importantly, isn't looking towards that - that's in four years time - it's to focus on what's hand: this season, the Asian Cup, and you know that sort of stuff.

"And I'm sure the World Cup will come around very quickly."

Circati is adamant the success will come if the Socceroos put the right things in place."Look, I just think playing together, boys getting good moves, boys playing constant football, boys playing in great clubs," he said.

"And then at the end of the day, that makes every player grow, makes every player get better.

"And then when we all come here, maybe we're individually better, and we can be a better team as well."