How a Socceroo’s pre-match tears gave way to a World Cup night to remember

The Guardian Sport Monday 15 June 2026, 15:00 UTC By Jack Snape in Oakland 1 min read

Key Points

Paul Okon-Engstler’s emotions before making his World Cup debut for Australia belied the performance that followed against Turkey in VancouverLost in the celebrations of Australia’s victory over Turkey was its poignant opening and the image of young Paul Okon-Engstler, wiping away tears brought on by his World Cup debut. The 21-year-old was one of the surprises to be named in Tony Popovic’s starting XI, as the coach chose to leave veteran Jackson Irvine on the bench. To those watching on the...

Paul Okon-Engstler’s emotions before making his World Cup debut for Australia belied the performance that followed against Turkey in Vancouver

Lost in the celebrations of Australia’s victory over Turkey was its poignant opening and the image of young Paul Okon-Engstler, wiping away tears brought on by his World Cup debut.

The 21-year-old was one of the surprises to be named in Tony Popovic’s starting XI, as the coach chose to leave veteran Jackson Irvine on the bench. To those watching on the broadcast, Okon-Engstler made an impact even before the first whistle, when his surging emotions underscored the enormity of the occasion.

Socceroo (PERSON) World Cup (EVENT) Paul Okon-Engstler (PERSON) Australia (LOCATION) Turkey (LOCATION) Tony Popovic’s (PERSON) XI (PERSON) Jackson Irvine (PERSON) Okon-Engstler (PERSON)

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