The irankunda socceroos released a near-two-minute video on Friday with 20 of the 26-player squad speaking about multiculturalism ahead of the World Cup. The message pushed back at growing anti-immigration sentiment and cast the national team as a public face of modern Australia.
Jackson Irvine Leads The Message
Jackson Irvine led the meetings that shaped the statement, and the midfielder said, "The Socceroos aren't just a team, we are a reflection of modern Australia." He also repeated the line, "No matter where you come from, football is for everyone," alongside Jacob Italiano, Aiden O'Neill and Harry Souttar.
The message came out of player meetings organised by Professional Footballers Australia. Beau Busch said the Socceroos "highlight the profound impact of multiculturalism" on the country, while Irvine added a direct political edge to the video after saying last month that FIFA's awarding of a peace prize to Donald Trump "makes a mockery" of football as a force for positive change.
Awer Mabil And Mo Touré
The video put individual backgrounds front and centre. Awer Mabil said, "I was born in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. My parents are South Sudanese." Mo Touré said he was born in Guinea to Liberian refugees and later moved to Adelaide as a refugee.
Lucas Herrington said he has Zimbabwean heritage and was born in Brisbane, Australia, while Aziz Behich said, "My family migrated from Cyprus." Jason Geria said he has Ugandan roots and was born in Australia, and he later added, "The Socceroos are the best representation right now of what Australia is."
Milos Degenek And The Squad
Milos Degenek's path was also part of the mix. He fled Croatia as an 18-month-old, lived in Serbia as a refugee and moved to Sydney at age six. Mat Leckie summed up the message in one line: "Our diversity is our strength."
The timing gives the video extra weight. It arrived ahead of a World Cup that will bring players, staff and supporters of 48 teams to the US, Canada and Mexico over six weeks, and it follows a previous Socceroos release before Qatar that directly addressed the hosts' human rights record. This time, the squad chose migration and identity as the topic, with 20 players on camera and the rest staying out of the near-two-minute message.
For supporters watching what the Socceroos stand for as much as how they play, the point was made plainly: the squad is presenting itself as a cross-section of the country before the tournament begins.
