Cameron Burgess' Australia are closing in on a place at the 2026 World Cup _(Image: Ross Halls)_
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Ipswich Town defender Cameron Burgess is on the brink of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with Australia.
The Socceroos came into the international break sitting second in their qualifying group, seven points behind the Samurai Blue and three points ahead of Saudi Arabia, facing both sides in their final two games.
Tony Popovic's side knew that a win against Japan in Perth would all but ensure that they qualify for next summer's tournament due to their superior goal difference.
With the scores level at 0-0, it looked like they would need to wait to confirm their World Cup place, but Middlesbrough's Riley McGree set up Aziz Behich to score his first international goal in 13 years, winning the match in the 90th minute in front of a crowd of 57,226.
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Australia's place could be confirmed this evening if Saudi Arabia fail to win in Bahrain. Otherwise, they will need to wait until next week's clash in Jeddah to wrap things up.
Burgess earned his 16th cap for the Socceroos, playing the entire match and keeping a clean sheet. He is out of contract at Ipswich this summer, with negotiations continuing amid reported interest from Girona and Rangers.