Socceroos coach Tony Popovic says Daniel Arzani needs to lift his standards in blistering evaluation

Former Australian football "prodigy" Daniel Arzani has received stern criticism from head coach Tony Popovic. Popovic believes that young players need to put in more effort to improve the national team's overall level. He emphasized that this is the only way for Australia to transition from being a regular in World Cup playoffs to a direct qualifier.

When asked how Arzani, a regular starter currently playing for Melbourne Victory, was adapting to the national team program, Popovic made his views clear. Australia is currently second in their group in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, just one point behind the top spot, with four games remaining. "I saw him in the training camp in October, and he knows what I think of him. His performance was not good enough, his training level was very poor. Maybe that's okay for him, but it's far from enough for the national team," Popovic said.

Popovic continued, "I know Daniel very well, he has potential. We've been discussing this since he was 18, and now he's 26. When he's not playing, everyone questions why, but he needs to raise his level. We need goals, we need assists. It's not enough to just complete a nice dribble, a fancy skill, or one assist; to play for the national team, you need to give more."

Arzani rose to fame with impressive substitute appearances at the 2018 World Cup, subsequently signing with Manchester City. While early injuries hindered his development, another rising star of Australian football, Nestory Irankunda, is following a similar path, having signed with Bayern Munich. Like Arzani, Irankunda is the type of player Australian football craves, with the ability to create opportunities in attacking areas and in one-on-one situations, something rarely seen in other Australian players in recent years.

Currently, Irankunda is on loan at Grasshopper Club Zurich in Switzerland, seeking first-team minutes in Europe. Popovic has demanded that the player from Adelaide United not be content with just playing games. "He has the potential to be a key player for the Australian national team for many years, but just getting playing time is not enough," Popovic said. "Just because he went to Bayern Munich doesn't mean we put him in a special position. He is only 18, and if he can fulfill his potential, he will play for the national team for many years, but that requires more than just playing games."

Popovic emphasized, "Every player needs to raise their level. Our goal is to compete with Japan. We've qualified for the last two World Cups through the playoffs, but we've always expected to finish in the top two. That's fine, but we need to raise the level, raise the standards. Our expectations should be higher because history shows we can't qualify for the World Cup directly. Just getting playing time at Grasshopper is not enough; they need to be performing at an elite level at Grasshopper so that they can also be elite in the national team, which will help us finish in the top two."

The national team future of another talented young Australian player, Alex Robertson, remains uncertain. He currently plays for Cardiff City in the English Championship but continues to refuse to play for Australia, despite representing Australia in friendlies in 2023 and being the son and grandson of former Australian internationals. Players are not tied to any country before playing in an official match for a national team, meaning Robertson is still eligible to play for Scotland, England, and Peru. "As far as we are concerned, if he is available for Australia, he would certainly be on the potential list in March, but nothing has changed at the moment," Popovic said.

The matches in March are crucial for the Australian team, who remain undefeated since Popovic took over and are eager to avoid qualifying for the World Cup through the playoffs for the third consecutive time. Popovic has been scouting Australian players overseas and has spent time at major clubs like Barcelona and with Tottenham Hotspur, managed by former national team coach Ange Postecoglou. "I'm really enjoying the job. The most challenging part is this period, the four-month gap. The games in October and November happened so quickly, it's a bit of a blur. I thought I would find this time difficult, I'm used to coaching and seeing the players every day," he said.

"The first couple of days after the training camp were quite difficult, the intensity is so high. Your day feels like it's filled with 24 hours, and then everyone disappears, and you look around the hotel, and it's empty. So, my wife told me maybe I should avoid it for the first few days. But I'm enjoying it, you can monitor the players, and you can also spend time looking for new players, which is exciting, and you can get a broader sense of the possibilities. It's very enjoyable."

Australia's next World Cup qualifier is against Indonesia in Sydney on March 20, followed by an away game against China five days later. The 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will continue with a crucial match against group leaders Japan in Perth on June 5, followed by a trip to Saudi Arabia.