Popovic knocked back four-year Socceroos contract extension

Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has declined a four-year contract extension from Football Australia (FA) to take the team through to the 2030 World Cup. Instead, Popovic signed a six-month contract extension to guide the team to the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, which starts in January. The Socceroos played two matches in Townsville and Brisbane against Brazil later this month.

Popovic led the team to the round of 32 in the 2022 World Cup, where they lost to Egypt in a penalty shootout. He was the youngest coach at the World Cup, with an average age of 25 years and 155 days among his players. Some Socceroos players signed lucrative transfer deals worth up to $33 million following the tournament. When asked directly about his future coaching plans, Popovic declined to give a direct answer and emphasized his focus on nurturing young talent.

He expressed satisfaction with his decision not to sign a long-term contract and expressed confidence in the team's potential to challenge for the Asian Cup.