Popovich hopes Australia can reach the World Cup finals after defeating China 2-0

Australia beat China 2-0 in the eighth round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers Group C after goals from Jackson Irwin and Nishan Velupillai. Coach Gregg Popovich said his team is in a good position and hopes to achieve the goal of qualifying for the World Cup with a good performance.

Jackson Irwin got the ball in the 16th minute and his shot was blocked by the opponent. Then Chinese defender Huang Zhengyu made a mistake when clearing the ball. Jackson Irwin seized the ball and shot into the goal, helping Australia take the lead 1-0.

In the 29th minute, Australia's attack was cleared and Velupillai volleyed the ball into the goal, helping Australia extend its lead to 2-0.

In the end, Australia defeated China 2-0 away from home. After two consecutive victories, Australia is currently ranked second in the Group C standings with 13 points, 3 points ahead of Saudi Arabia, which is in third place. Therefore, the "Kangaroo Army" only needs to get all 3 points in the next round against Japan to directly advance to the World Cup finals.

Australia coach Popovich said in an interview, "The challenge ahead is extremely difficult. We will play against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Can we improve again when we play against the strongest team in Asia in June? We were in a leading position after the start of this international match day, and we completed the task. The team scored 6 points and extended the lead to 3 points."

"We are in a good position at the moment because we are in control. But we have to finish the game and both games are going to be great games, firstly against Japan in Perth which is going to be a special game."

Speaking of the performance of Australian midfielder Ryan Teague, Popovich said, "It was a good debut. He is a very calm young player and brought balance to our team."

"We have maintained a strong mentality throughout this training camp and we know these two games are extremely important for us."