Bennie and Borges Rodrigues Earn Australia World Cup 2026 Camp Call-Ups
Australia coach Tony Popovic handed uncapped wingers Daniel Bennie and Raphael Borges Rodrigues their first senior Socceroos call-ups ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The pair join an extended Australia national team training camp in Sarasota, Florida as Popovic widens the net before locking his final 26-man squad.
Bennie, 20, plays in England’s Championship for Queens Park Rangers. Borges Rodrigues, 22, is on loan at Wigan Athletic from Coventry City. Both grew up through the Australian youth pathways and now battle established wide options for a place at the tournament.
Why Popovic Made the Call
The Australia coach added ten new names in total to the pre-camp roster, treating the May window as an open selection round. Popovic wants to test the depth of his wide-attacking pool against international standards before the cut. He confirmed both wingers would feature in friendly matches during the Florida block.
Popovic has built the senior team around a 4-3-3 shape that lives or dies on direct wide play. He needs at least four wingers in his final 26. The uncapped pair adds pace and right-foot options to a department where Martin Boyle and Craig Goodwin lead the senior pecking order.
Daniel Bennie’s Path to the Camp
Bennie was born in Hong Kong, raised through Australian youth football, and now plays second-tier English football at QPR. His season at Loftus Road delivered breakout performances on the right wing. The 20-year-old finished the Championship campaign as one of QPR’s most direct attackers, with steady assist returns and a clean dribble success rate.
Popovic tracked him through scouting reports across late 2025 and 2026. The call now gives Bennie the chance to convert age-group caps into a senior debut. He has trained with English Premier League youth set-ups, although his international future sits with Australia.
Raphael Borges Rodrigues’ Late Surge
Borges Rodrigues moved through Melbourne City’s academy, joined Coventry City in England, and currently plays on loan at Wigan in League One. His finishing improved through the spring, which forced Popovic to take a closer look. The 22-year-old can play across the front three and gives the coach a flexible option in late-game shapes.
His path matches the modern Socceroo profile of overseas-developed talent returning to fight for senior caps. The training camp in Florida is now his audition. A strong week against international opposition would put him in real contention for the June 1 final squad cut.
What the Florida Camp Looks Like
Sarasota gives the Socceroos heat, humidity, and turf conditions close to what they expect at the World Cup. Popovic structured the block around two friendlies and two closed-door scrimmage windows. Newcomers will get half-game tests rather than full 90-minute exposures, which protects fitness and allows clear data points across multiple sessions.
The coach plans to confirm his final 26 in the last week of May, in line with the FIFA June 1 deadline. The 55-man preliminary list goes to FIFA first under the new tournament rules. Our FIFA News hub tracks every confirmed squad release across the 48 federations.
Group D Picture for Australia
The Socceroos sit in Group D at the World Cup alongside Paraguay, Turkiye, and the United States. The draw rewards Australia’s strongest assets, with two opponents that suit a counter-attacking framework. The wingers Popovic picks will be the players who run those transitions. Bennie and Borges Rodrigues fit that brief on paper.
Australia open against Paraguay early in the group window. The United States meet them in the second matchday. Each fixture demands different wide-play patterns. A two-track call-up plan, with established starters and young challengers, gives Popovic the spread of profiles he needs.
Other Names in the Extended Camp
Popovic also added Melbourne Victory midfielder Ryan Teague among the ten extra names, alongside fringe defenders and a goalkeeper rotation. The full list runs through the spring’s most consistent A-League performers and a small group of overseas players who pushed their case in club football during April.
The coach signalled his openness to last-minute changes. Players outside the published list cannot replace a final squad name unless FIFA approves a medical swap. The May camp serves as the only live audition for those on the cusp.
What This Means for the Established Wingers
Boyle, Goodwin, and Awer Mabil sit as the senior wide players in Popovic’s plans. None of them lose their slot because of the uncapped pair. The new call-ups challenge for the fourth or fifth winger berth, which carries impact-substitute responsibility rather than a starting role.
The competition still raises the floor of the squad. Popovic gets a clearer read on training intensity, and the locked-in starters know the coach has live alternatives. That dynamic shaped Australia’s path to Qatar 2022 and now repeats with a younger generation.
What Happens Next
The Sarasota camp runs through the May window. Popovic announces the preliminary 35-55 list to FIFA in line with the May 11 deadline, then confirms the final 26 on June 1. Bennie and Borges Rodrigues need a strong block to climb from outside contenders to firm selections.
The Socceroos open Group D in mid-June. Both uncapped wingers will know their fate well before then, when the squad cut lands at the end of May.
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