Australia head into their crunch clash with Japan full of momentum, having breathed new life into their World Cup qualification campaign with back-to-back wins under new boss Tony Popovic.
After a rocky start to the third round, with just one win from their first six outings, the Socceroos bounced back impressively in March, brushing aside Indonesia and China in Popovic's first two games at the helm.
Their next hurdle, though, is a stern one. Japan, unbeaten in eight with six wins and two draws, have been one of Asia's standout sides in recent months. Hajime Moriyasu's men may have been held to a stalemate by Saudi Arabia last time out, but the Samurai Blue have shown depth and class throughout their campaign.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Australia vs Japan online - TV channels & live streams
 | Fubo | Watch here |
 | Fanatiz | Watch here |
 | beIN SPORTS | Watch here |
The match will be shown live on Fubo (Try for free!), Fanatiz and beIN Sports in the US. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Australia vs Japan kick-off time
The match will be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Western Australia, on Thursday, June 5, 2025, with kick-off at 7:10 am ET or 4:10 am PT for fans in the US.
Team news & squads
Australia vs Japan lineups
3-4-2-1
Formation
3-4-2-1
JPNAUS-Line up
AUSSubstitutes
Manager
T. Popovic
JPN-Line up
JPNSubstitutes
Manager
H. Moriyasu
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Australia team news
Australia, fresh off a training camp in the UAE, have named a 26-man squad for Thursday's showdown, with a few notable returns from injury.
Alessandro Circati is back in the mix after recovering from an ACL injury, while Riley McGree and Connor Metcalfe are also back in the frame. However, midfield anchor Jackson Irvine remains out after recent foot surgery.
There's excitement too, with fresh faces getting their chance to shine. Kasey Bos and Paul Okon-Engstler, the son of former international Paul Okon, have both earned maiden senior call-ups, the latter coming off an eye-catching run in Australia’s AFC U-20 Asian Cup triumph.
Up front, the battle for the No.9 role is heating up, with Brandon Borrello, Mitch Duke, and Adam Taggart all hoping to lead the line against Japan.
Japan team news
As for the visitors, with qualification already secured, head coach Hajime Moriyasu has opted to rotate, leaving out several established names. The likes of Kaoru Mitoma, Ayase Ueda, Ao Tanaka, Ko Itakura, and Hidemasa Morita have all been rested, paving the way for seven debutants to join the squad.
Veteran full-back Yuto Nagatomo, now 38 years old, is in line for his 143rd cap, while midfield engine and captain Wataru Endo remains the heartbeat of the team. While there's uncertainty over who'll lead the line for Japan, don’t expect them to ease off, the Samurai Blue have depth in spades and remain a formidable outfit.
Form
AUS-Form
AUSChina
0
-
2
Australia
W
Australia
5
-
1
Indonesia
W
Bahrain
2
-
2
Australia
D
Australia
0
-
0
Saudi Arabia
D
Japan
1
-
1
Australia
D
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 10/4
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 2/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5
JPN-Form
JPN- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 10/2
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 2/5
- Both teams scored
- 2/5
Head-to-Head Record
AUSLast 5 matches
JPN0
Wins
2
Draws
3
Wins
Goals scored
8- Games over 2.5 goals
- 1/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5