Socceroos 'grind it out', almost through to World Cup

Left-back Aziz Behich scored a last-minute winner, as Australia moved to the brink of qualification for the 2026 World Cup Finals with a 1-0 win over Japan in Perth on June 5.

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PERTH - Left-back Aziz Behich scored a last-minute winner, as Australia moved to the brink of qualification for the 2026 World Cup Finals with a 1-0 win over Japan in Perth on June 5.

With time running out, Behich pounced on Riley McGree's cutback and turned to lash the ball into the net to the delight of a crowd of 57,226 fans who had endured a laboured performance from the Socceroos.

Australia remain in second place in Group C on 16 points, four behind the already qualified Japanese. They will go through to the Finals if fourth-placed Saudi Arabia (10 points) failed to beat Bahrain in Riffa later in the day - the match finished after press time.

Even if the later result in Bahrain went against them, Australia's superior goal difference means that they will progress to a sixth successive World Cup with anything barring a heavy defeat when they meet the Saudis in Jeddah on June 10.

The top two teams in each of the three six-team groups qualify automatically for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"It hasn't quite sunk in just yet but when that final whistle went, it was a great feeling," Behich said.