Aziz Behich, Awer Mabil and Nishan Velupillay rejoin Socceroos lineup for March internationals

The Australian national teams build up towards the 2026 World Cup gains momentum shortly, as they face Cameroon at Accor Stadium in Sydney on 27 March and newcomers to the tournament Curaçao at AAMI Park in Melbourne on 31 March.

Individuals such as Lucas Herrington from Colorado Rapids, Ante Suto of Hibernian, and Deni Juric from Wisla Plock, with the final one having joined the November training session before an injury forced him out, are set to compete for their initial senior caps over this pair of fixtures, which additionally features a clash with China.

Pair from the A-League, Nishan Velupillay and Aziz Behich, earn call ups once more, alongside various past team members including Jordy Bos, Ajdin Hrustic, and Alessandro Circati.

"These represent our concluding fixtures prior to the World Cup preparation session, and various elements influenced our choice of personnel for this group," stated manager Tony Popovic via a statement issued on Thursday.

"Numerous participants view this gathering as yet another chance to don the Socceroos shirt. That said, we have brought in fresh talent too, given this marks our ultimate occasion to observe prospects up close ahead of the World Cup assembly.

"To play for the nation remains a privilege for athletes and personnel alike. Our goal is to deliver impressive displays."

"Although all encounters hold importance, these particular ones are vital, acting as a send off for supporters and allowing them one final view of the squad before departure for the United States.

"We value the outstanding backing afforded to us within Australia. The crowd rallied strongly through the qualification phase, and we anticipate returning to domestic turf."

Socceroos personnel for encounters with Cameroon and Curaçao:

Goalkeepers: Patrick Beach, Paul Izzo, Mathew Ryan

Defenders: Aziz Behich, Jordan Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Fran Karacic, Lucas Herrington, Kai Trewin

Midfielders: Ajdin Hrustic, Connor Metcalfe, Riley McGree, Aiden O’Neill, Alexander Robertson, Paul Okon-Engstler, Patrick Yazbek, Jacob Italiano

Forwards: Martin Boyle, Nestory Irankunda, Awer Mabil, Nishan Velupillay, Deni Juric, Ante Suto