Australia defender Milos Degenek has been reminding his younger teammates just how tough the road to the World Cup can be—especially when it involves high-stakes intercontinental play-offs. As the Socceroos prepare for their final two matches in the third round of Asian qualifiers, he’s urging the squad not to take anything for granted.
A first win over Japan in 16 years, when the sides meet in Perth on June 5, would put Australia in a strong position to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup in North America. But even victory wouldn’t guarantee qualification if Saudi Arabia go on to beat Bahrain later the same day.
Currently, Australia hold a three-point lead and a healthy goal difference over the Saudis, their closest challengers for second place in Group C. The two sides will face off in a potentially decisive clash in Jeddah on June 10.
Despite the expanded format of the 2026 tournament, which provides more qualifying slots, Degenek—who helped Australia qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions via nerve-wracking play-off wins over Honduras and Peru—warned against complacency.
“Those knockout games are brutal. It’s much easier to qualify directly through the group stage,” the veteran defender said from camp in Perth.
“We’ve really hammered that point home, and I think the boys understand what’s at stake. Just two games separate us from another World Cup.”
Even if Australia defeat Japan, they’ll have to wait several hours to learn their fate, as Saudi Arabia’s match in Bahrain kicks off five hours later—potentially leaving the Socceroos in suspense well into the night.
“If we get the win—and hopefully we will—we’ll be close, but the job won’t be done yet,” Degenek added.
“We’ll allow ourselves a small celebration, but nothing too big. If Saudi wins, we’ll still need to go to Jeddah and get a result.”
While Japan have already qualified and are fielding a squad missing several regular starters, Degenek—who spent time playing in the J-League with Yokohama F. Marinos—warned that the game won’t be any easier.
“In fact, it could be harder. The new guys coming in will be hungry to prove they belong in the World Cup squad,” he said.
“This won’t be a walk in the park. They’ll treat it just as seriously—if not more so—than any other match.”
