Tony Popovic's reign as Socceroos coach begins in Adelaide, where Australia faces an important World Cup qualifier against China.
After a loss and a draw in the opening games against Bahrain and Indonesia, Graham Arnold stepped down and was replaced by Popovic, who will need to hit the ground running if Australia are to qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup.
With a tough trip to Japan next week, three points is almost a necessity for the Socceroos, who are welcoming several key players back to the squad.
The Sporting News has all the details on how fans can watch the match.
MORE: Socceroos World Cup qualifying schedule, results | Socceroos vs. China live blog
How to watch Socceroos vs. China in Australia
The match will be broadcast on free-to-air TV via Channel 10, who will also be making the game available on their streaming service 10PLAY.
The game will also be available on the streaming platform Paramount+, which is something of a one stop shop for Australian football in recent times.
What time is Socceroos vs. China
The Socceroos' clash against China will begin at 7:40 p.m. local time on Thursday, October 10 at Adelaide Oval.
Here is how that matches up with the rest of Australia:
| City | Time |
|---|---|
| Sydney | 8:10 p.m. AEDT |
| Melbourne | 8:10 p.m. AEDT |
| Brisbane | 7:10 p.m. AEST |
| Perth | 5:10 p.m. AWST |
Socceroos squad for World Cup qualifiers vs China and Japan
Massimo Luongo and Connor Metcalfe were originally selected but were forced to withdraw due to injury. They were replaced by Luke Brattan and Patrick Yazbek.
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Joe Gauci | Aston Villa (England) |
| Goalkeeper | Paul Izzo | Randers (Denmark) |
| Goalkeeper | Mat Ryan | Roma (Italy) |
| Defender | Aziz Behich | Melbourne City |
| Defender | Harry Souttar | Sheffield United (England) |
| Defender | Kye Rowles | Hearts (Scotland) |
| Defender | Jordy Bos | Westerloo (Belgium) |
| Defender | Cameron Burgess | Ipswich Town (England) |
| Defender | Lewis Miller | Hibernian (Scotland) |
| Defender | Thomas Deng | Albirex Niigata (Japan) |
| Defender | Gianni Stensness | Viking (Norway) |
| Defender | Jason Geria | Melbourne Victory |
| Midfielder | Jackson Irvine | St. Pauli (Germany) |
| Midfielder | Luke Brattan | Macarthur FC |
| Midfielder | Ajdin Hrustic | Salernitana (Italy) |
| Midfielder | Riley McGree | Middlesbrough (England) |
| Midfielder | Patrick Yazbek | Nashville SC (USA) |
| Midfielder | Keanu Baccus | Mansfield Town (England) |
| Midfielder | Aiden O'Neill | Standard Liege (Belgium) |
| Forward | Mitch Duke | Machida Zelvia (Japan) |
| Forward | Craig Goodwin | Al-Wehda (Saudi Arabia) |
| Forward | Daniel Arzani | Melbourne Victory |
| Forward | Sam Silvera | Portsmouth (England) |
| Forward | Nestory Irankunda | Bayern Munich (Germany) |
| Forward | Apostolos Stamatelopoulos | Motherwell (Scotland) |
| Forward | Nishan Velupillay | Melbourne Victory |
