Socceroos end their goal drought to give new boss Tony Popovic a winning start in front of almost 50,000 fans in Adelaide.

Australia got its 2026 World Cup qualification campaign back on track by beating China 3-1 on Thursday in coach Tony Popovic’s first game in charge. The Socceroos had picked up just one point from their opening two Group C games in September,

Tony Popovic enjoyed a winning start as Australia coach as the Socceroos surged to a 3-1 victory in a World Cup qualifier against China at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Picking up just one point from a possible six in games against Bahrain and Indonesia was not what was expected by Australia fans and has left their World Cup qualification chances hanging by a thread. Those results were followed by the resignation of head coach Graham Arnold, with Tony Popovic employed as his replacement.

Australia hosts China in Adelaide on Thursday as both sides seek their first wins in the third round of Asian qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Minute-by-minute: The Socceroos seek to get their qualification campaign back on track under new coach Tony Popovic. Join Joey Lynch for updates

Thursday and resurrect their World Cup qualifying campaign, ensuring Tony Popovic's reign as coach got off to a winning start. Australia started confidently and dominated early possession, winning a series of corners and free-kicks on the edge of the box.