This may be only Australia’s fourth World Cup but it’s also the third straight qualification for the Socceroos, highlighting their progression in the game in recent years.
Their first World Cup finals appearance came in Germany in 1974 when the team was comprised of a squad full of amateurs. 
Their inauguration into the World Cup proved to be difficult as they failed to score in their three games in Group One which consisted of East and West Germany and Chile. A tough opening game saw the Socceroos lose to the East Germans 2-0 followed by a 3-0 defeat to West Germany. Despite this, Australia managed to gain their first ever World Cup point after a valiant goalless draw against Chile in Berlin which saw the Oceanic side hold out with 10 men for the final 10 minutes following the dismissal of Marconi Fairfield midfielder Ray Richards.
It then took another 32 years before the Australians participated in another World Cup finals and qualification to the 2006 competition was finally achieved via a play-off against Uruguay over two legs that was eventually decided on penalties. By this time the Football Federation Australia had decided to move the Socceroos from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation in 2005. This decision was made according to the FFA in order to aid the national team’s progression by playing against stronger opposition.
The Australians made their second World Cup finals in the same place as their first: Germany. Placed in Group F along with Brazil, Croatia and Japan the Socceroos got off to a great start with a 3-1 over Japan thanks to three late goals in the last six minutes, two from Tim Cahill and one from John Aloisi. A 2-0 defeat to Brazil followed but a 2-2 draw against Croatia was enough to secure second place in the group behind Brazil.
What followed was the infamous round of 16 game against eventual winners Italy. 
The Italians were a man down after the sending off of Marco Materazzi and it looked like the game was heading to extra time when Fabio Grosso was adjudged to have been fouled in the box by Lucas Neil who at the time was laying prone on the floor. Francesco Totti stepped up to the penalty spot in the fifth minute of injury time to end the Australians’s World Cup exploits in what was Guus Hiddink’s last game in charge of the Socceroos.
Australia began their 2010 World Cup campaign in the third round of qualification, drawn into a group that was composed of Qatar, Iraq and China as well as the Socceroos. Australia eventually progressed through to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after comfortably wining the fourth round of qualification in a group consisting of Japan, Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan. Their qualification was already assured before the final two games and the side finished at the head of the group above Japan by five points.
Placed in Group D in South Africa along with Germany, Ghana and Serbia their campaign got off to a bad start with a 4-0 loss to the Germans. A tight 1-1 draw followed with the Africans leaving the Australian’s needing a heavy win against Serbia to qualify, but despite a 2-1 win the Australians finished third in the group with goal difference sending Ghana through.
Qualification for the 2014 World Cup again started in the third round of qualification, this time the group contained Oman, Saudi Arabia and Thailand and Australia ended up winning the group by seven points. The Socceroos then qualified for their third consecutive World Cup after finishing second in the fourth round of qualification group, behind Japan but ahead of Jordan, Oman and Iraq.
The Socceroos will have a tough draw to deal with in Brazil, placed in Group B with Chile, Netherlands and current World champions Spain. They are the bookmaker’s favourite to finish bottom.
