Key Points
- Nine out of 26 of the Socceroos named to play in the World Cup are born overseas.
- Experts say it's important to have diversity in sport to inspire hope among migrants..
- Thirty per cent of Australians are born overseas.
Football is often described as "The World Game" and the 26-man squad selected to represent Australia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup is a true reflection of the country's multiculturalism, experts say.
Nine players selected in the were born overseas, from five different countries. Many others were born in Australia but come from migrant roots, including Ajdin Hrustic who has Romanian and Bosnian heritage.
An analysis by football podcast Fútbol Infinito found Australia was one of the most culturally diverse teams in the World Cup field, with only Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Qatar and Wales having more squad players who were born in another country.
After announcing its squad earlier this month, the Socceroos released a video saying the lineup represents Australia's diverse migrant history.
"From fleeing war to finding a home down under," Lebanese-Australian actor Firass Dirani says in the video.
"To leaving home at 14 to chase a dream.
"Many Journeys. One Jersey. One Squad."
About 30 per cent of Australians are born overseas and 49 per cent have at least one parent born overseas.
Socceroo learned to play football in a Kenyan refugee camp, after his parents fled civil war in South Sudan.
Earlier this year, he told SBS News that when he arrived to Australia, he couldn't speak English, but used football as a way to communicate.
"Football was like a saviour for me and it was a way I could communicate,” he said.
Another Socceroo, Thomas Deng, is a childhood friend of Mabil and was born in South Sudan.
He travelled to Australia as a refugee, where he settled in Adelaide when he was six years old.
Other Socceroos born overseas named in the squad include Milos Degenek, Fran Karacic, Harry Souttar, Keanu Baccus, Martin Boyle, Jason Cummings and Garang Kuol.
Professor Ramon Spaaij, from Victoria University's College of Sport and Exercise Science, told SBS News that diversity in sport can "build hope".
"First, you cannot be what you cannot see," he said.
"Having that visibility and representation of athletes with diverse backgrounds can build the hope, belief and aspirations of multicultural young people in Australia that there is a place for them in elite sport, that there may be pathways for them too.
"It helps to break down that barrier of not seeing yourself represented at that highest level. "
Professor Spaaij said the Socceroos lineup embraces Australia's migrant makeup.
"Embracing diversity in national teams such as the Socceroos can also give collective expression to a sense of belonging to Australian society more broadly; that is, to a sense of who we are as a multicultural nation that is both diverse and united," he said.
"Sports teams do not simply reflect or express existing identities, they also help [re]create new identities."
Players Union Co-Chief Executive, Kathryn Gill said migrants in Australia are more likely to relate to players from diverse backgrounds.
“They come from many different backgrounds and journeys and that’s why many Australians can relate to the Socceroos through not just the moments of inspiration on the pitch, but can connect with players through their varied stories, experiences and communities off it too," she said.
“It’s a wonderful example of football’s appeal, although the game’s opportunity now is about how we can encompass communities who face barriers to access our beautiful game at the grassroots level, including Indigenous kids in regional Australia.”
France players pose ahead of a World Cup semifinal against Belgium at Saint Petersburg Stadium in Russia on 10 July, 2018. Credit: AP
"First introduced in the late 19th century by Englishman John Walter Fletcher, football (or soccer) soon became a space for migrant communities – many of whom fled war and persecution in their homelands – to gather and celebrate their culture and heritage," it reads.
"Many of Australia’s oldest football clubs were formed by these immigrant groups: the Greeks of South Melbourne and Sydney Olympic, the Italians of Marconi and Adelaide City, the Croatians of Melbourne Knights, Sydney United and Perth's Western Knights."
Many of the world's best football teams have players representing diverse backgrounds.
France's winning squad from the 2018 World Cup had 16 out of its 23-man squad born outside the country.
Australia's first match in the 2022 Qatar World Cup is against France at 6am (AEDT) on Wednesday 23 November.
