FIFA World Cup 2022, Australia Review: How the Socceroos stunned the World

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Bengaluru, December 6: Australia's 2022 World Cup campaign came to an end following the 2-1 defeat against Argentina in the round of 16, but their journey truly has been remarkable and record-breaking one.

The two-and-a-half-year qualification campaign followed by a performance of a lifetime in the World Cup finals, will etch the Australian squad's name in the record book.

The Socceroos went to Qatar knowing they would be tested as team and that would be easily beaten in a tough Group D. The prediction seemed accurate when they fell to France 4-1 in their opening match.

But, they managed to pick themselves up from the heavy thrashing and delivered something which none of them could have predicted when the draw was made in April.

A hard-fought 1-0 win against Tunisia handed them the confidence they were seeking and they came to the ultimate group stage match knowing a win could guide them to the next round.

Their victory over Tunisia was their first at the competition in 12 years, while the Socceroos' 1-0 victory was also their first clean sheet at a FIFA World Cup in 48 years.

Next, a resilient Denmark who were also on brink of an exit from the tournament put up a stern challenge in the final game. But, stunning the world ranked #10, Graham Arnold's side sneaked in a 1-0 win. It was the first time an Australian team had beaten a top-ten-ranked nation at a FIFA World Cup.

Their dream run came to an end in the round of 16 games where they lost 2-1. However, the Socceroos pushed them to their limits until the end.

The Socceroos had only ever won four matches at a FIFA World Cup in six Finals appearances, including two at this tournament. The ongoing campaign definitely has been one of the most successful in their history and will be remembered by the fans and enthusiasts for a long time.