Australia

Known as the Socceroos, Australia are a scrappy, hard-working side that punch above their weight on the world stage despite coming from a country where soccer is constantly competing for attention with rugby, cricket, and Aussie rules football. They had a memorable run to the quarterfinals at the 2023 Women's World Cup on home soil, and the men's team will be looking to build on their own surprise quarterfinal appearance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they knocked out Denmark before falling to Argentina. Keep an eye on whether they can develop a new generation of talent to carry the torch, since they've historically relied on a handful of standout players — and finding those next heroes will be the real story heading into 2026.