Australia will play the 2026 World Cup without two key players

For the Australian national team, which confidently made its way to the playoffs of the World Cup, the tournament continues under difficult circumstances. The Socceroos lost two important players in the first team: Matthew Lackey and Jacob Italiano. Both footballers have already left the location of the team: Leckie returned to Melbourne, and Italiano flew to Austria, where he plays for the club Grazer AK. For 35-year-old veteran Matthew Lackey, the exit from the tournament was a real personal tragedy. The player, who has made an incredible effort to recover from surgery in December, has shown impressive dedication. He proved his readiness for the national team by playing 120 minutes in the A-League final and arrived in Florida two days later to convince the coaching staff of his ability to help the team. However, old health problems made themselves felt: a recurrence of the hamstring injury received in the match against the US national team turned out to be fatal. Lackey's partner at Melbourne City, Aziz Behic, shared his feelings about the loss: "I feel very sorry for him. I saw with my own eyes what he had to do to get back on the field. He is a legendary guy who gave everything to be here. Even when he is not playing, his experience and presence are very important to us." The other loss is defenseman Jacob Italiano, who was having his breakout season. The 24-year-old player was one of the best in the Socceroos squad in the matches against Turkey and USA. A groin injury sustained in training ahead of the draw with Paraguay proved serious enough to cut him short of the tournament. Italiano's absence opens the door for other players, notably Jordan Bos, who has excelled in a new position in attack. Aziz Behic, who also replaced his colleague in the match against Paraguay, is determined to fight for a place in the starting line-up: "I came here to take part in my third World Cup and I bided my time. I will do my job, prepare and try to give the boss a headache when choosing the squad. The main thing for me now is to be professional and contribute to the overall victory." We will remind, based on the results of the group stage, Popovych's wards took 2nd place in Quartet D. Australia will play against Egypt in the playoffs. The match is scheduled for July 3, starting at 21:00.