Key facts
- Australia's World Cup squad includes players born in refugee camps: Awer Mabil, Mohamed Touré, and Nestory Irankunda.
- Coach Tony Popovic has signed a contract extension through early 2027.
- The Socceroos are promoting a message of inclusivity and multiculturalism ahead of the World Cup.
- The team's initiative occurs amidst rising anti-immigrant sentiment globally and in Australia.
- Milos Degenek also has a refugee background, with his family fleeing Croatia and living in Serbia before Australia.
- Mohamed Touré and Nestory Irankunda are making their World Cup debuts, while Awer Mabil is on his second appearance.
Australia's national soccer team, the Socceroos, is using its platform at the upcoming World Cup to promote a message of inclusivity and celebrate the immigrant backgrounds of several players. This initiative arrives at a time of heightened anti-immigrant sentiment globally and within Australia, marked by recent riots in Northern Ireland and immigration crackdowns in the United States.
Among the players highlighted is Awer Mabil, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya to South Sudanese parents and is making his second World Cup appearance. He is joined by fellow forwards Mohamed Touré and Nestory Irankunda, both born in refugee camps before their families settled in Australia. Touré and Irankunda, who play for Norwich and Watford respectively, are set to make their World Cup debuts. Milos Degenek, another player with a refugee background, also has a story of his family fleeing Croatia and living in Serbia before moving to Sydney.
Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) chief executive Beau Busch emphasized that the Socceroos serve as a reminder of Australia's identity and the positive impact of multiculturalism. The team's diverse squad, featuring six players of African heritage—double the number from the previous World Cup—underscores this theme.
In parallel, Australia's national team coach, Tony Popovic, has signed a contract extension through early 2027, which will also cover the Asian Cup. Popovic, appointed in September 2024, successfully led the Socceroos to World Cup qualification.