Why is Australia playing in the Asian Cup?

Why does Australia play in the Asian Cup? This article will give you the answer to the question why does Australia play in the Asian Cup.

 

Why is Australia playing in the Asian Cup?

To understand why Australia plays in the Asian Cup, we have to go back 15 years. Before 2006, Oceania was only given half of the World Cup finals spots by FIFA. The Oceania champion team would play a play-off match with the South American representative to compete for a ticket to the World Cup. This made the door to the biggest football festival on the planet too difficult for Oceania representatives. Even Australia, the country with the strongest football in the continent, was no exception.

In 2006, Australia applied to FIFA to become a member of the Asian Football Confederation and was approved. Since then, the Australian football team has been allowed to participate in the Asian football tournament.

In 2015, after defeating South Korea in the Asian Cup final, the Australian football team became the first country in the world to win titles in two different continents, Oceania and Asia.

 

Since playing in the Asian tournament, the Australian team has achieved many successes, becoming a new force and has a lot of potential to win another place in the World Cup.

This has led many to question whether Australia should be returned to its rightful place as part of the Oceania Football Confederation?

What are the rules for changing confederations in FIFA?

Australia submitted a formal request in 2005 and just a year later, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter approved the country's request to allow them to switch confederations.

As a rule, three main conditions need to be met if any country wants to switch federations, which are listed below.

1. FIFA approved the move.
2. There was no objection from countries already in the region.
3. The area is expected to accept this country.

Australia has met all of the above requirements and is officially welcomed into the AFC, while the Socceroos' departure from the OFC also benefits that region.

Australia's exit from the OFC is seen as a positive move for all three parties - Australia, the Oceania Football Confederation and the Asian Football Confederation.

During their time in the OFC, Australia regularly fielded one of the strongest squads in history, with players playing in leagues across Europe, but the nation still failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Once they switched continents, their path to the prestigious event became significantly easier, while also attracting huge marketing opportunities.