Players have begun arriving in Sarasota, Florida, for Australia’s pre-2026 World Cup training camp, a final opportunity in the Gulf Coast heat and humidity to demonstrate form and fitness under coach Tony Popovic, according to ESPN.
Inclusion in the camp does not guarantee a place on the tournament roster. Australia will name a 26-player squad on June 1 after a final friendly against Mexico in Los Angeles on May 30, ESPN reported. Additional players will remain with the broader group until Australia’s fixture with Türkiye on June 13 to cover any injury-enforced changes permitted before the opening match.
Popovic initially called 31 players into camp, a figure that dropped to 30 after defender Hayden Matthews departed with an injury. Football Australia confirmed Matthews’ exit to ESPN on Wednesday morning and said the Portsmouth defender is ruled out of contention for the World Cup. Around 35 players in total are expected to be brought into Sarasota over the roughly three weeks the team will spend there.
The squad will train in Sarasota — about an hour’s drive south of Tampa on Florida’s east coast — before relocating to Los Angeles at the end of the month for the preparatory friendly with Mexico, and then shifting to Australia’s World Cup base camp in Oakland, California, according to ESPN. Clubs must release players by May 25 unless specific exemptions apply for competitions such as the UEFA Champions League final.
Football Australia executive director of football Heather Garriock told ESPN that Popovic has managed to inject young talent while providing opportunities for established players, and has fostered a competitive environment since taking the role. Garriock added that this pre-World Cup camp continues that approach. ESPN reported the camp is being used both to maintain competitive tension and to ensure players meet the coaching staff’s physical requirements.
