The world game is set to witness nothing short of a revolution and it means the rollercoaster experience of a shootout with a spot in the World Cup on the line is set to be not for Australia, but for others.
The victorious Socceroos arrive home at Sydney airport on Wednesday afternoon from the latest instalment of World Cup play-off penalty heroics.Australia has now qualified for five consecutive World Cups, including the previous two in play-offs
In the hours since, defender Trent Sainsbury has not let an injury slow down his post-match celebrations.The 30-year-old missed the victory over the UAE last week and the Peru match with a knee complaint. But he, alongside captain Maty Ryan and striker Mitch Duke, has shared videos of the Socceroos partying in Qatar following the match.
The Qantas charter that ferried the players back from Uruguay in 2005 has been replaced by a Qatar Airways commercial flight.Mitch Duke joined in the celebrations in the pool in Qatar.The first World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay involved just 13 nations, and the tournament moved to a 16-team format from 1934. The size increased to 24 teams in 1982, then 32 in 1998.