Why were there no Indigenous Socceroos at the World Cup?
Introduction
The World Cup is the biggest event in soccer and one of the most popular sports in the world. So when it comes to Australia and football, you'd expect us to do well. But we haven't always been at our best on the international stage - not even when we won our first game back in 1908! Australian soccer has had its fair share of upsets over the years: losing 7-1 to a team from New Zealand; going down 1-0 against Japan after having made nine changes (some people thought there were too many); having two players sent off within five minutes of each other; etcetera...But while those incidents may be funny now (or perhaps they won't be so amusing by 2024), what's important is that they show how much work needs to be done if we want all Australians to play their part in building "an inclusive society where everyone shares an equal opportunity for success."
Source: SBS
SBS is the only TV station in Australia that broadcasts soccer. It's an independent broadcaster, not a government-owned and it's a multicultural broadcaster, meaning it broadcasts in languages other than English.
SBS has been broadcasting soccer since the 1990s when they started up their coverage of the sport with games from Europe.
Just as the national anthem began before Australia's World Cup match with France, someone sitting in a nearby seat leaned forward.
Before the national anthem began, someone sitting in a nearby seat leaned forward. He or she was holding an Indigenous flag and had tears streaming down their face as they watched the Aussies prepare to play France.
It was the first time an Indigenous team hahadorn this jersey at a World Cup before: it's designed by Aboriginal artist Peter Farmer, who also designed Australia's uniforms for the London Olympics in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro this year. The design features traditional motifs such as dots that represent stars in the sky and stripes that represent water flowing over rocks." This is something we've been waiting for since day one," said Graham Cornes, president of Football Federation Australia (FFA), when asked about why there were no Indigenous players on offer during this week's FIFA World Cup draw ceremony last month."We've always wanted our players to be proud about what they look like," he continued before adding: "It shows unity between everyone - everyone needs to have pride in not just themselves but also their culture."
Source:
The Indigenous Socceroos were not at the World Cup. This is because no team was selected, invited, or allowed to go.
They also didn't play in any matches at this tournament and it's unlikely they will ever do so again.
"Psst, Timmy," they whispered. "The Indigenous team, where are they?" I turned. "Umm...what?"
"Psst, Timmy," they whispered. "The Indigenous team, where are they?" I turned. "Umm...what?"
The answer is that there were no Indigenous players in Australia's World Cup squad. And even if there had been—and you know it's a big if—they wouldn't have been able to play for their country anyway because of the federation you're probably not even aware exists the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The Socceroos aren't part of FIFA; instead, they're part of Australia's national football association and thus fall under its rules and regulations.
They pointed to the Socceroos team photo and the new Indigenous jersey, sharing an image of it on their phone.
You may have noticed that the national anthem began before Australia’s World Cup match with France. That's because it was being played at a stadium in Perth, Western Australia — not for an Australian team playing in France. And then there was this:
"When I looked up from my phone and saw what was going on around me," said one man named Paul who was sitting in a nearby seat. "I just sat back down."
This is precisely why there were no Indigenous Socceroos at the World Cup: because when people look away from their phones, they get uncomfortable looking into each other's eyes instead of at their screens or reading something else (like our article).
"Where're the 18 players? You must know them, you work for FIFA!" The World Cup in Russia was two weeks old by that stage. And every time I'd seen that jersey Australia had been playing.
- The number of Indigenous players in the Australian squad.
- The importance of Indigenous footballers.
- The role that these players play in their communities and on the pitch, both professionally and beyond.
- How they are represented by their country at international tournaments like this one (and more!).
The Indigenous World Cup jersey:
The Indigenous World Cup jersey is a powerful one. In some of the world's most beautiful football colors - yellow and green -, there is a striking black and white design on the chest and back. It looks like nothing else was worn at this World Cup. Of course, it was designed that way deliberately and with great care, by Aboriginal artist Peter Farmer - who calls himself Tjandi (pronounced 'Johni') - from Walaywaan (Woolgoolga) on Bundjalung country in northern New South Wales. At its heart is his story, his own design, as well as those of other Aboriginal artists and players included in it – including Daniel Arzani, Mathew Leckie…
Conclusion
It's not just about the jersey: it's about recognizing the players and their families and helping them contribute to the national game. It's also about showing respect for Indigenous Australians who have been ignored for far too long - but now that has changed. This World Cup was a perfect opportunity to do something positive for our people: give recognition where previously there had only been ignorance; recognize talents within our community and encourage them all over again; embrace this new generation of Indigenous players who may have never considered themselves as part of football before because they see no one playing in their colors in any position on team lists around Australia. And finally, let's hope we can take inspiration from this new project - perhaps even see it replicated by other nations at future tournaments?
