The Socceroos will play the United Arab Emirates in the first of two must-win World Cup play-offs on June 8 (AEST) in Qatar.
Australia stumbled massively in the final stage of qualifying as they finished third in their group and were forced to navigate the play-offs once again.
Graham Arnold's side have won one of their last four games and can't afford to slip up against the UAE.
The Sporting News brings you everything you need to know about the match.
Socceroos vs. UAE match details
| Date (AEST) | Time (AEST) | Match | Stadium | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, June 8 | 4.00am | Australia 2-1. UAE | Al Rayyan Stadium | Channel 10, 10 Play, Paramount+ |
The Socceroos' quest to qualify for a fifth straight World Cup will require them to beat both the UAE and Peru in single-leg play-offs.
Australia successfully navigated the play-offs in 2017 by beating Syria and Honduras but are set to face sterner tests this time around.
The Socceroos' first challenge on an extended road to Qatar sees them first needing to defeat a solid UAE outfit that beat Australia 1-0 the last time they met in the AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals in 2019.
The UAE also ended the third round of qualifying with a 1-0 win over South Korea in March but do come into this match after a lacklustre 1-1 friendly draw with Gambia on May 30.
In comparison, Arnold's side shrugged off two straight qualifying defeats to beat Jordan 2-1 on June 2.
The Socceroos notably have a nearly full-strength squad to call upon for these play-offs with Tom Rogic the only absentee.
How to watch Socceroos vs. UAE in Australia
The Socceroos' play-off game against the UAE will be broadcast on television via Channel 10 and streamed online via 10 Play and Paramount Plus.
10 Play is freely available via the App Store and Google Play with the platform also accessible via Apple TV, Android TV, Freeview, Fetch, Samsung and Telstra TV.
Paramount+ meanwhile offers free seven-day trials with monthly subscriptions costing $8.99 and A-Leagues' clubs offering yearly discounted deals as part of membership packs.
Experienced commentary duo Simon Hill and Andy Harper are expected to be calling the action.
Socceroos squad, team news and predicted starting side
| Name | Club, Country |
| Nathaniel ATKINSON | Heart of Midlothian, Scotland |
| Aziz BEHICH | Uncontracted |
| Martin BOYLE | Al-Faisaly FC, Saudi Arabia |
| Nicholas D’AGOSTINO | Melbourne Victory FC, Australia |
| Jason DAVIDSON | Melbourne Victory FC, Australia |
| Milos DEGENEK | Columbus Crew, USA |
| Kenny DOUGALL | Blackpool FC, England |
| Mitchell DUKE | Fagiano Okayama, Japan |
| Denis GENREAU | Toulouse FC, France |
| Craig GOODWIN | Adelaide United FC, Australia |
| Ajdin HRUSTIC | Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany |
| Jackson IRVINE | FC St. Pauli, Germany |
| Fran KARACIC | Brescia Calcio, Italy |
| Joel KING | Odense Boldklub, Denmark |
| Mathew LECKIE | Melbourne City FC, Australia |
| Awer MABIL | Uncontracted |
| Jamie MACLAREN | Melbourne City FC, Australia |
| Riley MCGREE | Middlesbrough FC, England |
| Aaron MOOY | Shanghai Port FC, China PR |
| Andrew REDMAYNE (Gk) | Sydney FC, Australia |
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| Kye ROWLES | Central Coast Mariners FC, Australia |
| Mathew RYAN (Gk) | Real Sociedad, Spain |
| Trent SAINSBURY | Uncontracted |
| Gianni STENSNESS | Viking FK, Norway |
| Adam TAGGART | Cerezo Osaka, Japan |
| Marco TILIO | Melbourne City, Australia |
| Danny VUKOVIC (GK) | NEC Nijmegan, Netherlands |
| Bailey WRIGHT | Sunderland AFC, England |
Arnold has been able to name close to a full-strength Socceroos squad for games in June.
The likes of Aaron Mooy and Adam Taggart have all returned to the team after recent absences but Tom Rogic has pulled out of the squad for personal reasons.
Jason Davidson has also earned a recall after a strong domestic season with Melbourne Victory.
The Socceroos deployed an experimental starting side against Jordan but will likely favour experience in this do-or-die play-off.
Predicted Socceroos XI (4-3-3): Ryan - Behich, Sainsbury, Degenek, Karacic - Mooy, Irvine, Hrustic - Mabil, Taggart, Boyle
Socceroos vs. UAE past results
| Date | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January, 2019 | UAE 1-0 Australia | AFC Asian Cup |
| 28 March, 2018 | Australia 2-0 UAE | World Cup qualifier |
| 6 September, 2016 | UAE 0-1 Australia | World Cup qualifier |
| 27 January, 2015 | Australia 2-0 UAE | AFC Asian Cup |
| 11 October, 2014 | UAE 0-0 Australia | Friendly |
