Tony Popovic has reshaped his Australia squad with eight new faces for the November international window. The Socceroos head coach named a 25-player group featuring seven potential debutants for friendlies against Qatar and Jordan.

Popovic made eight changes from the squad that lost 4-2 to Brazil in September. That defeat in Townsville was their last outing, a result that leaves their recent form reading one loss from their last match. The coach is now looking ahead, with the first match of this window against Qatar in Doha on 13 November. The team will then travel to face Jordan in Amman on 19 November. The Socceroos have conceded 11 goals in their last three matches, a defensive record Popovic will be keen to address.

New faces and returning players

Seven players could earn their first caps: defenders Eli Adams (Gamba Osaka) and Sam Klein (St Pauli), midfielders Kealey Adamson (QPR) and Kasey Bos (Excelsior Rotterdam), and forwards Thomas Waddingham (Portsmouth) and Diesel Herrington (Central Coast Mariners). Goalkeeper Joe Gauci (Lincoln City) is also in line for a debut.

Five players return to the fold, including Gianni Stensness, who scored for Viking FK in a 3-3 Champions League draw with Bayern Munich, and Kusini Yengi, who joins brother Tete Yengi in the squad for the first time. Daniel Arzani also returns after scoring in a Europa League win for his club. The returning quintet is completed by defender Jonathan Aspropotamitis and midfielder Ryan Edwards.

Popovic stressed the importance of the camp despite the rescheduling of the AFC Asian Cup to late 2027. "While the AFC Asian Cup has been rescheduled, that does not take away from the importance of this window," the head coach said. "We have limited opportunities to be together as a group, so every camp and every game is important."

Eleven members of the 2026 World Cup squad are included, providing a core of experience.

Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler pointed to strong supporter interest. "The momentum around the CommBank Socceroos has never been stronger, as we saw in September with sell-out and record crowds against Brazil in Townsville and Brisbane," Kugeler said.

The squad will begin preparations immediately for the Qatar match, which kicks off Australia's final international window of 2026. Popovic confirmed the team will hold a training camp in Dubai before the fixture in Doha.

Background and full detail: Football Australia