When’s the last time Australia made World Cup knockout stage?

Australia defeated Denmark in a World Cup upset of epic proportions, and the Socceroos advanced to the knockout round.

Australia finished second in their group only to France with six points and a -1 goal differential. A match against Denmark, previously ranked tenth in the world by FIFA and considered by many to be a dark horse team in this tournament, stood in the way of a Round-of-16 invite.

But the Socceroos pulled off a historic upset, defeating Denmark 1-0 and hanging on despite late traffic in front from the Danish side.

Mathew Leckie scored the game’s only goal, bringing Australia to its feet in the early morning hours. The match ended at around 4 a.m. local time in Sydney.

Last time Australia made World Cup knockout round

The Socceroos have made the last five World Cups, but hadn’t made it out of the group stage since 2006, when the lost to the eventual champions, Italy. For Australia, surviving a tough group and entering the round-of-16 is a testament to the sport’s development in a nation often predicated on other activities. In similar fashion to the United States, Australia has been hungry for international soccer success for quite some time, and by no means are they satisfied with just an appearance in the knockout round.

World Cup Group D standings

Group D did not go as everyone expected. Denmark and France were tabbed as the clear favorites to move on to the knockout stages prior to the tournament, with Australia and Tunisia frowned upon. Instead, the latter two teams turned the European powers on their head thanks to surprising victories.

Below are the final World Cup Group D standings:

1. France – 6 points, +3 goal differential
2. Australia – 6 points, -1 goal differential
3. Tunisia – 3 points, 0 goal differential
4. Denmark – 3 points, -2 goal differential

The Danish team is clearly the biggest disappointment of the 2022 World Cup so far.