Football Australia continues its focus on national youth team programs, when it sends an under-18 men’s squad to compete in a four nations tournament in Portugal next month.
With the Subway Young Socceroos agonisingly missing out on FIFA U-20 World Cup qualification on a penalty shootout at the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup in March, Australia’s U-20 Head Coach Trevor Morgan has selected a 20-strong squad of players born in 2005 to contest the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) Portugal Sub-18 International Tournament.
The FPF Portugal Sub-18 will be played in Lisbon from 5 – 15 June and features U-18 national team squads representing England, Portugal, and Norway along with Australia in a round-robin format.
Head Coach Trevor Morgan said this tournament presents the chance for our next crop of prospective Subway Young Socceroos to experience high quality international football.
“It’s important we continue to provide opportunities for our best emerging talent to gain exposure to international competition as we look ahead to the next under-20 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign which will commence in 2024,” Morgan explained.
“This invitational tournament in Portugal will see those selected play matches against three of Europe’s leading nations at both youth and senior level, which is the type of competition we are seeking to develop the generation of Socceroos.
“I’m extremely grateful for the ongoing support of the Football Australia Board and Executive to make this possible for these young players,” concluded Morgan.
Australia’s matches against both England (11 June) and Norway (13 June) will be played at the Cidade do Futebol complex and against Portugal (9 June) at Sports Complex Real Sport Clube.
AUSTRALIAN U-18 SQUAD l FPF PORTUGAL SUB-18 TOURNAMENT I 5 – 15 JUNE 2023
| NAME | POSITION | CURRENT CLUB (as at 23 May 23) | JUNIOR CLUB / MEMBER FEDERATION |
| Alexander BADOLATO | Midfielder | Western Sydney Wanderers FC | Sylvania Heights FC / Football NSW |
| Max CAPUTO | Attacker | Melbourne City FC | Essendon Royals SC / Football VIC |
| Frans DELI | Midfielder | Western Sydney Wanderers FC | Fairfield Hotspurs FC / Football NSW |
| Emin DURAKOVIC | Midfielder | Melbourne City FC | Port Melbourne Sharks SC / Football VIC |
| Sebastian ESPOSITO | Defender | Melbourne City FC | Brunswick City SC / Football VIC |
| Jaden GASKING | Midfielder | Boavista Futebol Clube | Bexley North Bombers FC / Football NSW |
| Steven HALL | Goalkeeper | Adelaide United FC | Para Hills Junior SC / Football SA |
| Joshua INSERRA | Defender | Melbourne Victory FC | Fawkner SC / Football VIC |
| Luka JOVANOVIC | Attacker | Adelaide United FC | Fk Beograd / Football SA |
| Franco LINO | Defender | Melbourne Victory FC | Pakenham United FC / Football VIC |
| Matteo MAZZONE | Attacker | VFL Wolfsburg | USI Lupo Martini Wolfsburg (Germany) |
| Max MIDDLEBY | Defender | Central Coast Mariners FC | Valentine FC / Football NNSW |
| Christian NAVEEN | Attacker | TSV 1860 Munich | Spring Hill Stallions FC / Football VIC |
| Paul OKON-ENGSTLER | Midfielder | S.L. Benfica | Marconi Stallions FC / Football NSW |
| Alexander ROBINSON | Goalkeeper | Macarthur Bulls FC | Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC / Football NSW |
| Zane SCHREIBER | Midfielder | Sydney FC | Bomaderry SC / Football NSW |
| Harrison SHILLINGTON | Defender | Melbourne City FC | Northcote City FC / Football VIC |
| Dimitri VALKANIS | Defender | Aek Athens FC | North Eastern MetroStars SC / Football SA |
| Rhys YOULLEY | Midfielder | Macarthur Bulls FC | Marconi Stallions FC / Football NSW |
| Marcus YOUNIS | Midfielder | Western Sydney Wanderers FC | North Rocks SC / Football NSW |
