Australia has qualified for the 2018 World Cup with the Socceroos beating Honduras 3-1 in the second leg of their inter-confederation playoff in Sydney on Wednesday.
Qualification marks the fourth-consecutive World Cup tournament for Australia and just the fifth in their history.
Locked at 0-0 from the first leg in San Pedro Sula last week, Australia’s captain stepped up big time with Mile Jedinak scoring a second-half hat-trick via a deflected free kick and two penalty kicks.
Houston Dynamo forward, Alberth Elis, scored with the last kick of the game for Honduras but the CONCACAF side was deservedly beaten by Australia in front of 76,080 fans at Stadium Australia.
Australia had finished out of the automatic spots in Asian qualifying and had to play a two-legged playoff against Syria, which they won in extra time in the second leg.
Ange Postecoglou’s men did it the hard way, but they’re in.
