Australia coach challenges Socceroos to ‘leave a legacy’ with run to World Cup 2022 knockouts

Australia coach Graham Arnold has challenged his side to “leave a legacy” by booking a place in the World Cup last-16 against Denmark.

Australia are second in Group D behind France and a win over the Danes would see them qualify.

A point would also be enough if Tunisia fail to beat France in this afternoon’s other game.

“If you’re not Australian, and you don’t know, football in Australia is probably the fourth or fifth main sport after AFL, rugby league, rugby union, cricket... and then there’s football,” said Arnold.

“They call it soccer, but football. To leave a legacy is huge.

“When you sit around now, even in the lunch room, this generation is talking about emulating the 2006 squad [by reaching the knockouts] and achieving the same goals that, when they were 10 years of age, they saw.

“It’s about putting the game on the map a bit more.”