Tony Popovic

Tony Popovic (Croatian: [pǒpovit͡ɕ]; born 4 July 1973) is an Australian soccer manager and former player who serves as head coach of the Australia national team. Popovic played as a centre-back. Starting his career for Sydney United 58, he moved to Sanfrecce Hiroshima of Japan and then flourished at Premier League side Crystal Palace. He also represented Australia at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, two FIFA Confederations Cups and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Popovic started his coaching career in 2008 with Sydney FC. After a brief stint as assistant manager at Crystal Palace, he was chosen as the inaugural manager of the Western Sydney Wanderers at the start of the 2012–13 season. His major managerial achievements are winning the 2012–13 A-League Premiership and 2014 AFC Champions League with the Wanderers, the 2018–19 A-League Premiership with Perth Glory and an Australia Cup with Melbourne Victory in 2022. Replacing Graham Arnold in 2024, Popovic helped the Socceroos qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, twenty years after his only playing appearance on international football's biggest stage. His sons Kristian and Gabriel are also professional footballers.