Australia’s Socceroos are using the lead-up to their opening World Cup match to highlight the immigrant and refugee backgrounds that have shaped the national team, sending a message that soccer belongs to everyone. The campaign, released by Professional Footballers Australia, features players whose personal journeys reflect Australia’s multicultural identity at a time when anti-immigrant sentiment is rising in Australia and in other countries.
Among the players spotlighted is Awer Mabil, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya to South Sudanese parents. Mabil said the many journeys behind the jersey give being a Socceroo deep meaning, with the shared goal of making the country proud. He is one of three Socceroos born in refugee camps. Mohamed Touré was born in a camp in Guinea to Liberian parents before his family settled in Adelaide, while Nestory Irankunda was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp after his parents fled Burundi. Irankunda and Touré later became close friends in Adelaide after their families settled in Perth and South Australia.
Touré, who plays for Norwich, and Irankunda, who plays for Watford, are both preparing for their first World Cup appearances. Mabil, who plays for Castellón in Spain, is set for his second World Cup. Another Socceroo, Milos Degenek, also has a refugee background after his family left Croatia when he was a baby and lived in Serbia before moving to Sydney.
The team’s message comes amid broader tensions over immigration. The article notes that a knife attack in Northern Ireland earlier this month triggered two nights of violent riots fueled by anti-migrant rhetoric. In the United States, President Donald Trump has carried out a broad immigration crackdown, and visa restrictions have affected the World Cup after Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry. In Australia, anti-immigrant marches and rallies under the banner “March for Australia” have led to arrests for hate speech and clashes with counterprotesters.
Professional Footballers Australia chief executive Beau Busch said the Socceroos stand as a reminder of who Australians are as a nation, arguing that people from around the world have shaped the country’s football, communities and identity. The Socceroos have played in the last five World Cups and reached the round of 16 twice, including in 2022. Australia begins Group D action on Saturday against Turkey in Vancouver, British Columbia, after training in Oakland, California. Touré briefly missed practice on Wednesday but returned on Thursday.
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