Australia will play Turkey to begin their World Cup campaign in June after the Socceroos thrashed Curacao 5-1 in Melbourne on Tuesday night. The Aussies are ranked 27th in the world, while Turkey are now 22nd after climbing three places. A scintillating goalscoring blitz, headlined by Nestory Irankunda's showstopping brace, powered the win over Curacao, with coach Tony Popovic calling it a just reward for the team in their World Cup send-off. Aiden O'Neill and Mabil spurned good chances before Popovic turned to his bench – and the Socceroos turned the tide. Once Circati headed Australia back in front, the Socceroos surged to a comprehensive victory.

Source: Metro April 01, 2026 04:22 UTC