Australia take on the visitors Japan in the round 9 match of third qualifying stage to FIFA World Cup 2026. The match will be played on Thursday, June 5th at Optus Stadium (Perth).
Australia dominated Oceania so thoroughly that they chose to switch to the more competitive Asian confederation. And for a while, the move paid off: they continued to qualify for World Cups regularly and even won the AFC Asian Cup on home soil. However, in the two most recent tournaments — including Qatar — they were knocked out in the quarterfinals. Their current qualification campaign began poorly, and under Tony Popovic, the team hasn’t shown significant improvement. Their win over China remained their only victory until the end of 2024, amid a string of uninspiring draws. It was only in March that they managed to beat both Indonesia and China, keeping them in second place with 13 points — three ahead of Saudi Arabia. Australia's attack has lacked sharpness, with many matches ending in low-scoring results. Still, their experience and resilience make them dangerous in must-win scenarios like this.
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Japan remains the standard-bearer of Asian football. The Samurai Blue made their World Cup debut only in 1998 but haven’t missed a single edition since, reaching the knockout rounds on four occasions. They've also won the Asian Cup four times, cementing their regional dominance. However, they fell short in the last edition, exiting in the quarterfinals. In World Cup qualifying, though, Hajime Moriyasu’s men have been highly efficient. Their only slip came in the autumn — a 1-1 draw against Australia, shortly after the Socceroos changed head coaches. Despite that, they’ve already secured their place at the next World Cup. Japan's squad depth and tactical discipline have made them tough to break down. But with qualification already secured, their intensity may drop — as seen in their recent goalless draw against Saudi Arabia.
Australia last beat Japan back in 2009. Since then, Japan have won three encounters, while their most recent meeting ended in a draw. The hosts are seen as underdogs, while the visitors have little to play for competitively. In this context, motivation could make the difference — we back the Socceroos with a 0 handicap (draw no bet).
Prediction for the match: Australia to win with 0.0 handicap.
