Jariyah Shah. Photo: Manchester United
Sydney FC’s Akol Akon headlines Australia’s squad for the 2026 Under-17’s FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar next month.
Carl Veart’s Joeys squad features players from Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, AFC Bournemouth and FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, as well as 17 who play in the A-League Men as Australia returns to this stage for the first time since a Round of 16 finish in 2019 in Brazil.
The Joeys will compete in Group C alongside Argentina, Denmark and Mozambique.
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Akon will be able to play in the tournament after being the subject of a high profile club v country tug-of-war last week between the A-League club and Football Australia, which ended with a heated press conference from Patrick Kisnorbo where he explained and defended the club’s initial position not to release the talented teen.
Akon will spearhead an A-League Men’s contingent that also includes Melbourne City’s Besian Kutleshi and Akeem Gerald, and Brisbane Roar’s Emmett Shaw.
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They will be joined by an overseas contingent of Brighton goalkeeper Charlie Wilson-Papps, Bournemouth’s Max Lyall-Rajendra, Harrison Bond from RB Leipzig and Manchester United’s Jariyah Shah.
Lyall-Rajendra’s call-up is a boon for Australia, as he is also eligible for England, Italy and Scotland. He joined Bournemouth from Watford ahead of the 2026-27 season. The right-back spent a decade in Watford’s system and made his FA Youth Cup debut at just 15 before making the move south as a first-year scholar.
Shah, 17, moved from Doncaster Rovers to Manchester United at under-13 level and signed scholarship terms with the Premier League giants in 2025. He made his United Under-18s debut that February, starting in midfield in a 2-1 league win over Wolves, but has also featured regularly in defence.
Max Lyall-Rajendra has been called up by the Joeys. Photo: Getty Images.
Shah was born in Canberra, Australia in 2009 to a Pakistani father and Vietnamese mother before moving to England and obtaining British citizenship.
17-year-old goalkeeper Wilson-Papps signed a pro contract this year. The teenager signed a scholarship contract with Brighton and Hove Albion in July.
Born in England, Wilson-Papps is eligible to represent Australia through his heritage. Initially an England U15 international, he switched his allegiance to play for the Joeys at the 2026 U17 AFC Asian Cup – where he was a standout.
Brighton paid AFC Wimbledon a six-figure transfer fee to sign the talented shot-stopper 18 months ago.
At the time, Wimbledon’s academy manager Michael Hamilton said: “From day one we knew we had identified a young man with real sporting potential and through hard work (from both staff and Charlie)and complete focus, this potential transferred to exciting performances.
Akol Akon on Olyroos duty with Australia’s under-23 side. Photo: Getty Images
“These performances resulted in him receiving a deserved England call-up at the beginning of 2024, which led to him being watched by almost every club in the country.
“It’s another name on the list of players that have been developed here at the Academy, identified and then recruited by a club higher up the pyramid.”
Seen a real long-term prospect for Australia, Wilson-Papps had been involved in training camps at youth level for England before making the international switch, which has provisionally tied him to the Green and Gold, with a one-time switch required for him to play for the Three Lions.
Jariyah Shah. Photo: Manchester United
The Joeys qualified via a semi-final spot in the 2026 Under-17 AFC Asian Cup and while 15 of those players are retained for the pinnacle, there are a few fresh faces that have been included, headlined by Akon and the overseas contingent.
“Being selected to represent your country at a FIFA World Cup is an enormous honour, particularly at thisstage of a player’s career, and it’s something this group should be incredibly proud of,” Veart said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We’ve selected a squad that has worked hard for this opportunity and shown strong character throughout the program. There is a good balance within the group and we’re excited to see what they can achieve together.
Carl Veart. Photo: Football Australia
“For many of these players, this will be the biggest stage they’ve experienced and we’re looking forward to seeing how they respond to the challenge of competing against quality international opposition.
“We know we’ll face strong opponents in the group stage, but that’s exactly the type of challenge we want to embrace. We’re going to Qatar with the ambition to play positive football and progress as far as we can.
“We have belief in this group and want the players to enjoy the occasion, play with confidence and make the most of an opportunity that they’ve earned through their hard work and performances.
“I’d also like to acknowledge the families, coaches and clubs who have played an important role in helping these young players reach this point in their careers.”
Under-17’s World Cup Squad
Akol AKON
Position: Attacker
Current club: Sydney FC
Junior club / Member Fed: St Marys Convent SC / Football NSW
Lachlan ALLEN
Position: Goalkeeper
Current club: Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Ramsgate RSL / Football NSW
Luke BECVINOVSKI
Position: Attacker
Current club: Central Coast Mariners FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Pascoe Vale FC / Football Victoria
Harrison BOND
Position: Defender
Current club: FC Red Bull Salzburg
Junior club / Member Fed: All Saints Hunter Hills FC / Football NSW
Max COURT
Position: Attacker
Current club: Brisbane Roar FC
Junior club / Member Fed: APIA Leichhardt FC / Football NSW
Akeem GERALD
Position: Attacker
Current club: Melbourne City FC
Junior club / Member Fed: FC Bulleen Lions / Football Victoria
Georgio HASSARATI
Position: Attacker
Current club: Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Putney Rangers FC / Football NSW
Emile KATRIB
Position: Defender
Current club: Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Panania Diggers SC / Football NSW
Besian KUTLESHI
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Melbourne City FC
Junior club / Member Fed: North Sunshine Eagles SC / Football Victoria
Max LYALL-RAJENDRA
Position: Defender
Current club: AFC Bournemouth
Junior club / Member Fed: London Colney Colts FC / England
Callum McCASKEY
Position: Defender
Current club: Central Coast Mariners FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Central Coast Mariners FC / Football NSW
Archie MITCHELL
Position: Defender
Current club: Brisbane Roar FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Narangba Eagles FC / Football Queensland
Sajjad NASIRI
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Adelaide United FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Ingle Farm SC / Football SA
Hugo NG
Position: Goalkeeper
Current club: Adelaide United FC
Junior club / Member Fed: MetroStars / Football SA
Dionn NIGRO
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Sydney FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Enfield Rovers FC / Football NSW
Oliver O’CARROLL
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Central Coast Mariners FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Middle Park SC / Football Victoria
Henrique OLIVEIRA
Position: Attacker
Current club: Macarthur Bulls FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Port Adelaide Pirates / Football SA
Marcus SAVIC
Position: Defender
Current club: Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Moorebank Sports SC / Football NSW
Jariyah SHAH
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Manchester United FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Doncaster Rovers FC / England
Emmett SHAW
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Brisbane Roar FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Centenary Stormers FC / Football Queensland
Charlie WILSON-PAPPS
Position: Goalkeeper
Current club: Brighton & Hove Albion FC
Junior club / Member Fed: Sheen Lions FC / England
FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP QATAR 2026TM GROUP C
Argentina U17 v JoeysThursday, 19 November 2026
Aspire Zone – Pitch 8, Al Rayyan
Kick-off: 7.00pm local / 3.00am AEDT (Friday, 20 November)
Denmark U17 v JoeysSunday, 22 November 2026
Aspire Zone – Pitch 4, Al Rayyan
Kick-off: 3.30pm local / 11.30pm AEDT
Joeys v Mozambique U17Wednesday, 25 November 2026
Aspire Zone – Pitch 8, Al Rayyan
Kick-off: 6.30pm local / 2.30am AEDT (Thursday, 26 November)
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