AFL legend Graham Cornes has described Australia's enthusiasm for the national soccer team, the Socceroos, as akin to a "holiday romance" that "lacks substance." He believes the intense, but temporary, public infatuation with the team will dissipate once their World Cup campaign concludes.
Cornes, a veteran of 369 Australian Rules Football matches and a former coach, acknowledged the Socceroos' commendable performance in the current World Cup, including an upset victory over Turkey and a draw against Paraguay that secured their progression to the knockout stages. However, he emphasized that this widespread attention is a cyclical phenomenon, peaking every four years when the team competes on the global stage.
"For the briefest of times we even fall in love with it [soccer]," Cornes wrote for News Corp. "But like that holiday romance, it lacks substance; reaches a peak of passion, then fades as life resumes its normal cadence. But for those few weeks, we are captivated."
He noted that while the presence of global superstars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can generate national pride, Australia's connection to its own players often remains superficial. Cornes pointed out that outside of a few recognized names, such as goalkeeper and captain Mat Ryan, who has 104 caps, many Socceroos players are not household names domestically, let alone internationally. He cited players like Nestory Irankunda and Patrick Beach, who may be known to local fans or the media but not widely recognized by the general public.
Despite praising the Socceroos for representing a multicultural Australia, Cornes questioned why soccer has not achieved greater mainstream popularity in the country since the national team's World Cup debut in 1974. He suggested that the sport has been touted to overtake other football codes for over five decades without achieving that status. "The reality of soccer is that it's a better game to play than to watch," he stated.
The recent World Cup performances have drawn significant viewership in Australia, with a match against Paraguay reportedly attracting 4.84 million viewers on SBS, making it the broadcaster's most-watched World Cup game. SBS claims nearly half of Australia's population has tuned into some part of the tournament. However, Cornes's assertion about the transient nature of this support is often reflected in the lower television ratings for domestic competitions like the A-League, which, despite recent growth, has historically struggled for audience numbers once the international spotlight fades.