Socceroos still waiting for World Cup payment from FA

Socceroos players who competed at this year's World Cup are yet to be paid their match fees, three months after the tournament's conclusion.

This follows the news that both male and female national team players are taking legal action against Football Australia (FA) over their revenue-sharing agreement. Members of the Socceroos World Cup squad in North America are also seeking match payments from the FA.

The payments were due within a fortnight of the players' departure from camp.

Australia was knocked out of the tournament at the round-of-32 stage in a loss to Egypt on July 3.

FA, which recorded a $23 million loss over the last two financial years, said tax complications in the US were the cause of the delay.

The body said it was working with the players' union, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), to "resolve the outstanding matters as quickly as possible".

"Football Australia is ready to make the match payments related to the FIFA World Cup," FA said in a statement.

"Before those payments can be processed, however, we require final specialist advice on the North American taxation obligations applicable to the payments, as well as some further player distribution information being provided through the PFA.

"Recognising the complexity of North American taxation requirements, FIFA facilitated access to specialist tax support for all participating member associations to help them understand and meet their respective obligations.

"We have been actively engaging with those specialist advisers since the World Cup to confirm the applicable tax and withholding treatment."

If a player sees game time or is an unused substitute for the national team, they earn about $6,000 in match fees.

The Socceroos played two friendlies against Mexico and Switzerland before three World Cup group games and the Egypt shootout defeat, meaning players named for all six games are heading into camp this week out of pocket to the tune of roughly $36,000.

There were no known payment issues for the four friendlies which took place in the US in the October and November windows last year.

Australia played Canada, the US, Venezuela and Colombia in North America in the back half of 2025 in the build-up towards the World Cup.

"It is clearly an unacceptable situation that three months after the conclusion of the World Cup the Socceroos match fees remain unpaid," PFA chief executive Beau Busch said.

"Any matter related to international tax was foreseeable and should have been addressed long before a ball was kicked at the tournament."

Members of the squad who faced Brazil in two friendlies in Queensland in September earlier this year are understood to have been paid in full.

The FA's delay in paying World Cup match fees has done little to quell discontent from Socceroos players heading into November's friendly window in the Middle East.

Some players have expressed concerns about travelling to the region — Australia will face Qatar in Doha and Jordan in Amman — in light of the wider conflict.

The purpose of those friendlies in the current climate has been brought into question since the Asian Football Confederation opted to delay the Asian Cup.