Japan v Australia: 2026 World Cup qualifier – live

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifier against Japan in Saitama. It’s not often Australia are rank outsiders in an Asian Federation game but that’s the case tonight. They haven’t beaten Japan since 2009 and are already five points behind them in Group C. The 3-1 win over China on Thursday restored a bit of order but the fact Japan won the equivalent fixture 7-0 tells you where Australia are right now.

While the games against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will probably determine whether Australia take the second automatic qualification place, this match is a useful health check against the highest-ranked team in Asia. A draw would a terrific result; a win would be one for the books.

Kick off 9.35pm AEDT/7.35pm local