The Subway Socceroos will be under new leadership for the remainder of their Road to 26 Qualifiers following the announcement of Tony Popovic as head coach while our CommBank Matildas will be back in Australia at the end of November for a four match series that includes fixtures against Brazil and Chinese Taipei.
First up, we have Tony Popovic making his debut in the Socceroos dugout as they come up against China in Adelaide on October 10 before they make the daunting trip to Saitama five days later to take on Japan.
AFC Road to 26 Qualifiers: Important Links
Socceroos head to Adelaide and Saitama for World Cup Qualifiers
China suffered back-to-back defeats against Japan and Saudi Arabia and will be considered the prime opponent for the Socceroos who are in dire need of a win to boost their World Cup hopes.
Following on from that clash in Adelaide, Popovic's men will travel to Saitama for one of the most challenging matches.
The Blue Samurai have had an absolutely lethal start to the latest set of qualifiers, putting seven unanswered goals past China before knocking off Bahrain 5-0.
How to Watch the Subway Socceroos World Cup Qualifiers
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The Socceroos vs China clash will be live and free on 10 and 10 Play from 7:30pm AEDT on Thursday, 10 October.
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The Japan vs Socceroos match will be able to stream live and exclusive on Paramount+ from 8:45pm AEDT on Tuesday, 15 October.
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The Socceroos record against Japan makes for difficult reading with their last win coming all the way back at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Since then, the two nations have shared the points on a couple of occasions but otherwise it has been Japan who hold the clear advantage in the head to head.
They met at this same qualification stage in Saitama for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Japan coming out on top 2-1.
Subway Socceroos: Important Links
Coming Up: Socceroos face Saudi Arabia & Bahrain
It won't be long until the Socceroos will be in action once again as they head to Melbourne to meet Saudi Arabia on Thursday, 14 November.
By this time, Popovic will have hoped to have picked up vital points in their October Qualifiers as they take on one of the considerably tougher oppositions in Asia.
The Green and Gold last came up against the Arabian Falcons at this same stage of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
That meeting in Jeddah ended 1-0 in favour of the hosts while the first match in Sydney in November 2021 ended in a goalless stalemate.
The Socceroos will then prepare for what will be their final match of the year as they make the trip to Bahrain six days later, on the hunt to make amends for their defeat in the reverse fixture on the Gold Coast.
They opened their Third Round Qualifiers in the worst way possible as Bahrain secured a surprise 1-0 win that sent shockwaves throughout the football world.
Watch Bahrain vs Subway Socceroos live and exclusive on Paramount+ on Wednesday, 20 November.
10 Play will publish the full match replays and highlights of the Socceroos P+ exclusive away fixtures 36 hours after the completion of each respective match.
AFC Road to 26 Qualifiers - Live on Paramount+
All of the AFC Road to 26 Qualifiers are available to stream live on Paramount+. Check out the fixtures below to find out the schedule for the upcoming Match Days.
AFC Road to 26 Qualifiers: Important Links
Tom Sermanni is back in charge of the Matildas
The CommBank Matildas are back in action for the first time since the Paris Olympics earlier this year.
The Olympics marked the end of the chapter for Tony Gustavsson who departed his role as coach of the CommBank Matildas following their Group Stage exit.
Matildas: Important Links
- Football Australia Appoints Tom Sermanni as Interim Matildas Coach
- 2024 CommBank Matildas Fixtures
- CommBank Matildas to close out 2024 in Victoria against Chinese Taipei
Matildas' longest serving coach Tom Sermanni is back in charge on an interim basis as he looks to reignite a group of players that he knows all too well from his previous spell.
With a few months to reflect on their Olympics campaign, the Matildas will assemble as a group for the first time since August as they meet Switzerland in Zurich on Saturday, 26 October at 0500 AEDT.
They will then be in action three days later as they face off against Germany in Duisburg on Tuesday, 29 October at 0400 AEDT.
All of the CommBank Matildas away matches are live and exclusive on Paramount+ with the full match replay and highlights available on 10 Play 36 hours after the completion of each respective fixture.
Matildas gear up for massive week in Queensland and Victoria
The CommBank Matildas will be back on Australian shores in November for the first time since their farewell matches against China prior to the Olympic Games.
Over the course of just over a week they are set to face off in a two match series against Brazil in Brisbane and the Gold Coast on Thursday, 28 November and Sunday, 1 December before jetting down to Victoria to meet Chinese Taipei.
They will meet Chinese Taipei on Wednesday, 4 December at AAMI Park before heading west to Geelong's GMHBA Stadium for the second match of the series on Saturday, 7 December.