For the fifth consecutive World Cup, Australia will participate in the group stage of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Socceroos took the long road to this World Cup, with play-off wins against the UAE and Peru after failing to qualify directly for the FIFA tournament.
Australia has only reached the knockout stage of a World Cup once, in Germany 2006, and they hope their time in Qatar lasts longer than just three games.
The Sporting News brings you all the information on where and when Australia will play and how to watch the World Cup action Down Under.
Program 2022 World Cup in Australia
Just like in 2018, the Socceroos start the 2022 World Cup with a game against France. Les Bleus defeated Australia 2-1 four years ago to win the tournament.
Given the history of World Cup winners in tournaments right after their title success, the Socceroos can’t rule out a shocking result, with even a draw ready to set them up nicely to escape a competitive group.
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Tunisia awaits Australia after France, with this match a must-win for both teams if they want to claim a place in the top two.
The Socceroos round out the group stage against Denmark – another team they played in Russia four years ago.
In 2018, these teams could not be split in a 1-1 draw and another point in this match could be decisive for Australia.
Australia Group D match schedule
| Date (AEDT) | Contest | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| wed, nov. 23 | France vs. Australia | Al Janoub Stadium |
| Saturday, Nov. 26 | Tunisia vs. Australia | Al Janoub Stadium |
| Thu 1 Dec | Australia vs. Denmark | Al Janoub Stadium |
Potential knockout round schedule — if Australia finishes 1st in Group D
| Date (AEDT) | Phase | Time (AEDT) | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon Dec 5 | Round of 16 | 2:00 am | Al Thumama Stadium |
| sun 11 december | Quarter-finals | 6:00 am | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Thu 15 Dec | Semi finals | 6:00 am | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Sun Dec 18* | Match for third place | 2:00 am | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Mon 19 Dec | Last | 2:00 am | Lusail Stadium |
*Only in case of defeat in semi-finals
Potential knockout round schedule — if Australia finishes 2nd in Group D
| Date (AEDT) | Phase | Time (AEDT) | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| sun 4 dec | Round of 16 | 6:00 am | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium |
| Sat 10 Dec | Quarter-finals | 6:00 am | Lusail Stadium |
| wed, dec. 14 | Semi finals | 6:00 am | Lusail Stadium |
| Sun Dec 18* | Match for third place | 2:00 am | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Mon 19 Dec | Last | 2:00 am | Lusail Stadium |
*Only in case of defeat in semi-finals
Australia World Cup Group
Group D
- Australia
- France
- Denmark
- Tunisia
For the second World Cup in a row, Australia is in the same group as Denmark and France.
In 2018, the Danes and French escaped the group, with the Socceroos finishing bottom after losing to Peru in their last game.
Tunisia has been added to the mix this time in Qatar and looming as interesting opponents. The African side finished third in their 2018 group and failed to qualify for the two previous World Cups.
Reigning World Cup champions France enter the group stage as favourites, but title holders generally struggle in the tournament immediately after their success. For example, 2014 winners Germany finished at the bottom of their group in Russia.
Denmark cannot be underestimated, as it reached the Round of 16 in 2018, where it only lost on penalties from eventual finalist Croatia. The Reds & Whites also reached the Euro 2020 semifinals.
The Socceroos will come into this group as true underdogs, but have shown in the past that they have the ability to pack a punch on the biggest stage. Consistency will be key if they make it to the knockout stage in Qatar.
World Cup Group D odds*
| Team | win group | To qualify for R16 | win world cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 12.50 | 4.00 | 251.00 |
| France | 1.40 | 1.07 | 7.00 |
| Denmark | 3.75 | 1.40 | 26.00 |
| Tunisia | 15.00 | 4.33 | 251.00 |
* Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes and correct as of September 2022.
Australia joins the #Qatar2022 side!
The most dramatic ending, but @Socceroos did it. 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/1Wq7ELpAWL
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 13, 2022
How to watch World Cup matches in Australia
Every World Cup match is broadcast live and free on SBS in Australia.
Specific games are broadcast on SBS’s channels, while each match can be streamed via SBS On Demand.
Optus Sport broadcast the 2018 World Cup, but had to simulcast matches with SBS due to technical problems.
The Australian World Cup qualifiers for Qatar were shown on Network 10 and Paramount+, but they do not have the rights to the actual tournament.
| Date (AEDT) | Contest | Stadium | Time (AEDT) | TV channel | Current |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wed, nov. 23 | France vs. Australia | Al Janoub Stadium | 6:00 am | SBS | SBS on request |
| Saturday, Nov. 26 | Tunisia vs. Australia | Al Janoub Stadium | 9:00 am | SBS | SBS on request |
| Thu 1 Dec | Australia vs. Denmark | Al Janoub Stadium | 2:00 am | SBS | SBS on request |
Playing times World Cup in Australia
Qatar is located in the Arab standard time zone, which is GMT +3.
For most Australians, this means kick-off in Qatar will be eight hours later in the AEDT time zone.
During the group stage, matches will start between 1pm and 10pm (local time), which corresponds to 9pm-6am (AEDT).
The World Cup final kicks off at 6pm (local time), meaning most Aussies from Down Under start at 2am.
Start times World Cup 2022 in Australia
Group Stage (AEDT):
- 9:00 am
- 00:00
- 2:00 am
- 6:00 am
Knockout Phase (AEDT):
- 2:00 a.m. (Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, Match for Third Place, Final)
- 06:00 (Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals)