Australia's First FIFA World Cup Appearance: 1974

Australia debuted at the FIFA World Cup in 1974, hosted by West Germany.

The Campaign

• Qualification: Beat South Korea, Iran, then Iraq in a playoff (Sydney, 1973) — first Asian/OFC berth.
• Group 1: East Germany, West Germany, Chile.
• Results: Lost 0–2 to East Germany, 0–3 to West Germany, drew 0–0 with Chile.
• Scoreless: Australia didn't score a goal; exited with 1 point.

Significance

• First Oceania/Asia qualifier to reach finals.
• Squad: Mostly NSW/Vic state league players; semi-pro.
• Coach: Rale Rasic.

Next Appearances

Long gap: 2006 (Germany), 2010 (South Africa), 2014 (Brazil), 2018 (Russia), 2022 (Qatar) — 6 total appearances. Best: Round of 16 (2006).