The Australian Football Federation announced today the resignation of Graham Arnold, the coach of the first team, after a disappointing start in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
“The passing of Graham Arnold marks the end of an era in Australian football,” said FFA chief executive James Johnson.
“Under Graham’s leadership, we have achieved incredible things that have elevated Australian football onto the world stage,” he added.
“I believe it is time for new leadership to guide the team forward,” Arnold, 61, said in a statement.
Arnold’s resignation came after a shock 1-0 home defeat to Bahrain earlier this month, followed by a goalless draw with Indonesia, which left Australia fifth out of six teams in their qualifying group.
Arnold has been coach of the Australian national team since August 2018 and led them to the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup.
This was the second time he took over the national team’s training, after holding the position temporarily between 2006 and 2007.
The Australian team is now looking for an interim coach ahead of next month’s matches at home to China and away to Japan, with the aim of improving the chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.