Socceroos coach Tony Popovic signs extension through to Asian Cup

Football Australia has described Tony Popovic's extension as Socceroos coach as a "fantastic outcome" as Popovic prepares the national side for their World Cup opener. Popovic, who led the Socceroos to direct World Cup qualification, will remain in the job until the Asian Cup early next year. What's next? The Asian Cup finals will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027. Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has signed a contract extension to take Australia's men's national team through to the Asian Cup early next year. Popovic is in Canada with the Socceroos preparing for their opening game of the World Cup against Türkiye on Sunday morning (Australian time). The 2027 Asian Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027. The Socceroos have qualified for the tournament and will be in Group B along with Jordan, United Arab Emirates and North Korea. "I'm delighted that I will continue to coach the Socceroos through to the AFC Asian Cup 2027," Popovic said. "It has been an honour and a privilege to lead the Socceroos, and it is a role that I thoroughly enjoy and one I have never taken for granted. "My absolute focus right now is on the FIFA World Cup 2026. "I'm proud to lead my country into a World Cup, but most importantly I want to ensure that our team is fully prepared and focused on our group matches against Türkiye, the United States, and Paraguay." Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler described the contract extension for Popovic as a "fantastic outcome". "Tony is a world-class coach and he has proven his ability to deliver results while developing talent at the same time," Kugeler said. "With the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 coming so soon after the World Cup this provides a natural progression and an opportunity for Tony and the team to build upon the positive momentum generated over the past 21 months." The ABC of SPORT Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday.