Football Federation Australia has confirmed the former Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners coach has resigned after more than six years in charge of the country's national team.
"Managing the Socceroos has been the pinnacle of my career and a real honour. I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved. After careful consideration, I believe the time is right for Australia to seek a new coach to take the team forward," Graham Arnold told the Football Federation Australia website.
Arnold was appointed head coach of the Australian national team in 2018, beginning his second spell in charge of the Socceroos, after a spell in charge from 2006-2007. He helped the team qualify for the 2022 World Cup. In Qatar, he led Australia through the group stage before losing to Argentina in the round of 16. He also helped the Australian Olympic team qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
After the 2022 World Cup, he was extended his contract by the Football Federation Australia, with the goal of taking the team to the 2026 World Cup. However, in the third qualifying round, the kangaroo team did not play well. They lost 0-1 to Bahrain in the first match at home, then drew 0-0 with Indonesia away.
This result was beyond many people's expectations, because the Australian team was rated much higher than the two opponents.
Arnold stressed: “I said after the match against Indonesia that I had to make some decisions, and after thinking carefully, my intuition told me that it was time to make a change, for myself as well as for the team.
“I have decided to step down based on what is best for the country, the players and Football Federation Australia. I have given my all in this role and I am extremely proud of what has been achieved during my tenure.”
Australia will play two more World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan in October, and Football Federation Australia is currently looking for a new coach for the Socceroos.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, candidates to replace Graham Arnold include Herve Renard (former coach of Saudi Arabia and Morocco), Nick Montgomery, Tony Popovic and John Aloisi.
In addition to the Australian team, the Oman team also parted ways with its coach, after a poor start in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Accordingly, the Oman Football Federation parted ways with coach Jaroslav Silhavy, less than 8 months after he was appointed.
Previously, the Oman team lost 0-1 to Iraq and 1-3 to South Korea, forcing the Oman Football Federation to find another solution. Just 1 day after parting ways with Silhavy, the Oman team has a new coach - Rashid Jaber, who led the Al Seeb club to win the 2022 AFC Cup.
