Harry Souttar, the 27-year-old centre back, is working to secure a spot in Australia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad after recovering from injuries that sidelined him for 17 months [1, 2]. He returned to match play last month with English club Leicester City, scoring a goal and completing a full 90 minutes in his comeback appearance [1, 2].
Souttar is currently training with Australia’s national team at the camp in Sarasota, Florida, ahead of the World Cup scheduled from June 11 to July 19 [1, 2]. He faces competition for one of the 26 places in head coach Tony Popovic’s final squad from players such as Alessandro Circati, Cameron Burgess, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, and Kye Rowles [1, 2].
Speaking from camp on May 13, Souttar acknowledged the challenges of his injury recovery. "Obviously you are going to go through your ups and downs with your injury, with getting back. There were times I was back training and having a little niggle then having to get another surgery so it’s just that stopping and starting again, the unknown -- are you going to be back in time, are you going to be fit?" he said [1].
He stressed the competitive nature of the squad. "If you look at every single position across the squad you’ve got three or four guys challenging. It’s just going to keep the standards high like it always has been here. No one is guaranteed a spot," Souttar said [1]. He added, "We’ve still got a lot of work to do to get into the final squad because the group’s done really well. There is a lot of hard work to go and I’ve just to prove over the next four weeks what I’m capable of doing."
Souttar previously overcame a serious ACL injury to play a key role in Australia’s run to the last 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup [1, 2]. His recovery and recent form with Leicester will be crucial as he aims to replicate that impact in 2026.
Souttar’s next steps involve continuing training and trials with the squad as Popovic finalises his 26-man roster ahead of the World Cup kick-off on June 11 [1, 2].