After a Storm of Criticism, Australian Federation Decides Popovic's Fate

5 July 2026 - 21:27 | Last update 5 July 2026 - 21:27

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The Australian Football Federation renewed its support for coach Tony Popovic, after his country's team lost to Egypt in a penalty shootout in the 2026 World Cup, a result that led to the 'Socceroos' failing to achieve their first victory in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Popovic faced intense pressure and criticism following the tactical decisions he made during the match against Egypt, as he was criticized by some former Australian stars after he decided to substitute goalkeeper Patrick Beach in the final seconds of extra time in the Round of 32 match in Dallas on Friday, with the team approaching a penalty shootout, and instead brought in Matthew Ryan, who failed to save any penalty, leading to Egypt winning 4-2 in the shootout.

Popovic was also criticized for his decision to give confidence to player Lucas Herington (18 years old) to take one of the penalty kicks, which he missed.

Australian Football Federation CEO Martin Coghlan told Australian media in Dallas: 'Every fan will think about what could have been done better,' according to AFP.

He added: 'But the coaching staff and Tony Popovic are always the best judges of what the team needs at that moment.'

He continued: 'After the match, everyone becomes more knowledgeable about what should have been done, but you have to make decisions in the moment based on what you observed in training and what you sensed from the players.'

He concluded by saying: 'Therefore, Tony Popovic has our full confidence.'

Popovic took over as the Australian national team coach in 2024 and led the team to qualify for the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time.

His contract was also extended just days before the tournament began until the 2027 Asian Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5.

Coghlan said: 'We are very happy with the decision to extend this contract. He is the right person to lead this group towards the upcoming major tournament and to apply the experiences and lessons learned from this tournament in the next challenge.'

The Australian Football Federation renewed its support for coach Tony Popovic after his country's team lost to Egypt in a penalty shootout in the 2026 World Cup, a result that led to the "Socceroos" failing to achieve their first victory in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Popovic faced intense pressure and criticism following the tactical decisions he made during the match against Egypt, as he was criticized by some former Australian stars after he decided to substitute the starting goalkeeper Patrick Beach in the final seconds of extra time during the Round of 32 match in Dallas on Friday, just as the team was approaching a penalty shootout, and instead brought in Matthew Ryan, who failed to save any penalty, leading to Egypt winning 4-2 in the shootout.

Popovic was also criticized for his decision to trust player Lucas Herington (18 years old) to take one of the penalty kicks, which he missed.

Australian Football Federation CEO Martin Coghlan told Australian media in Dallas: "Every fan will think about what could have been done better," according to AFP.

He added: "But the coaching staff and Tony Popovic are always the best judges of what the team needs at that moment."

He continued: "After the match, everyone becomes more knowledgeable about what should have been done, but you have to make decisions in the moment based on what you observed in training and what you sensed from the players."

He concluded by saying: "Therefore, Tony Popovic has our full confidence."

Popovic took over as the Australian national team coach in 2024 and led the team to qualify for the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time.

His contract was also extended just days before the tournament began until the 2027 Asian Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5.

Coghlan said: "We are very happy with the decision to extend this contract. He is the right person to lead this group towards the upcoming major tournament and to apply the experiences and lessons learned from this tournament in the next challenge."

2026 World Cup