"And you take a minute and realise a journalist and footy player in Echuca, Northern Victoria, AFL heartland, are talking about watching a couple of Socceroos play at Coopers Stadium a few years earlier."

Now that the dust has settled on the 2026 World Cup, what are your thoughts and feelings regarding the Socceroos' performance? Were you stunned, disappointed, satisfied, or heartbroken? FPF contributor and generational Socceroos super fan Ben Horvath shares his assessment of how the campaign rated historically.

If Tony Popovic truly believes that one day the Socceroos can win a World Cup, he needs to put his money where his mouth is at the selection table, according to Caydn Foley.

Iconic Australian rock band Midnight Oil's song 'Best of Both Worlds' is the perfect metaphor for the current wave of hope and aspiration among the more optimistic sectors of the Australian football community, Ben Horvath writes.

The narrative surrounding the Australian football pyramid has started to shift, mainly due to the recent success of NPL clubs in the Australia Cup. Harry Bailey believes the once-clear quality gap between the A-League and NPL is now being challenged.

Airton Andrioli's first A-League match ended with three points, but more importantly, in a shift of atmosphere surrounding Adelaide United. Antonis Pagonis analyses what went right and if it can last.

"This is by far the least excited I've ever been for an A-League season in my lifetime." In his new column The Director's Chair, Christian Marchetti begins by asking a few simple questions for the APL.