AFC Asian Qualifiers
The six nations face off for a place in the 2026 Finals in Group C with the Japanese, Saudi Arabians and Australians renewing their rivalries after playing one another at the same stage of the preliminaries for the both the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
On the most recent occasion, Saudi Arabia won the group with Japan taking the second automatic qualifying berth at the Finals while Australia advanced after progressing through the Intercontinental Playoff with a penalty shoot-out victory over Peru in Doha.
“I believe we can finish in the top two,” said Arnold. “You’ve got to have that belief and that energy to bring the focus to getting the job done.
“I do believe we’ve grown as a team over the last couple of years, we’ve brought a lot of young players in and we’re getting stronger and stronger.
“I do believe we’ve gotten stronger as a team, I think in the last campaign we didn’t probably have the depth that we’ve got today.
“Individually some players have got promoted in the English Premier League and in the German Bundesliga 1, so as a young team – and we still are a young team – we’re getting better and better.”
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The Australians kick off the third round of qualifying against Bahrain on home soil on September 5 and, while the distances his players – many of whom are based in Europe - have to travel are considerable, Arnold does not see that as a disadvantage.
“Home-and-away - every game is a lot of travel, but we’re used to it,” he said. “We did it in the last campaign, we’re used to it and we’ll get on with it.
“Most teams struggle when they come to Australia with the travel and the time-difference compared to us, because a lot of our players live overseas and are in a different time zone so they’re used to it. If anything, it’s worse for the opposition.”
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While the draw has brought the Australians together with Saudi Arabia for the third time in a row, the Socceroos’ rivalry with the Samurai Blue will now extend to a fifth consecutive campaign since Football Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006.
“Going to those countries that we’ve been to makes the players relax a bit more, they’ll know what they’re in for,” said Arnold.
“A lot of people sit back and say because now there’s eight-and-a-half teams going to the World Cup that qualifying is going to be much easier, but the draw has shown today that there are three tough groups.”
Australia will also take on near-neighbours Indonesia in their first-ever qualification for the third phase of FIFA World Cup qualifying, soon after Arnold’s side won 4-0 over Shin Tae-yong’s team in the last 16 at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™.
“Indonesia has come on a long way in the last couple of years,” he said. “We had them at the Asian Cup so we’re aware of them as a team.
“But what’s important is we focus on ourselves and it’s good now the draw’s done and we know exactly what’s in front of us and we move forward.”
