A-League’s Impact in Re-establishing Australia on the Global Football Stage: ‘A Significant Boost for Australian Football’

Melbourne Victory’s head coach, Arthur Diles, is optimistic about the benefits gained by the Subway Young Socceroos through increased visibility in the Isuzu UTE A-League, commending Australia’s Under-20 team for “putting us back on the map.”

The Young Socceroos stand on the brink of achieving history as they aim to secure their first-ever AFC U20 Asian Cup title, set to clash with Saudi Arabia in the final this Saturday in China.

With a strong contingent of A-League talent—17 players in the squad and six starting against Japan in the semi-finals, alongside another three who came on as substitutes—the Young Socceroos have also qualified for the FIFA U20 World Cup for the first time in 12 years.

As they approach the 2025 tournament, this Young Socceroos squad has accumulated over 12,200 minutes of professional match play across more than 250 senior-level games.

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This further underscores the opportunities provided by A-League clubs, with the statistics reflecting this growth.

In fact, the Isuzu UTE A-League ranks second globally, only behind the Serbian SuperLiga, for the percentage of match minutes allocated to players born in or after 2004, according to the CIES Football Observatory based on their latest analysis of top 50 divisions worldwide.

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Discussing the Young Socceroos and the critical nature of U20 development ahead of Saturday’s match against Brisbane Roar, Diles shared with reporters: “At this age, there’s significantly more exposure for these players in the A-League, allowing them to gain valuable minutes in senior football.

“Conversely, those at the U17 level are still primarily competing in youth or NPL competitions, creating a noticeable disparity in the quality of the competitions they face.”

“In recent years, we’ve seen a marked increase in young players earning minutes in the A-League, which is crucial for the growth of both football clubs and our youth national sides.”

“It’s evident that this is paving the way for substantial progress. This group of Young Socceroos is exceptionally talented, and it’s worth noting they’re potentially missing five or six additional players who could enhance their strength even further. That bodes well for Australian football.

“Trevor has done an incredible job with this cohort, which is currently leading the charge and helping to restore our footballing reputation.”

“They’re set to compete in the final soon, and regardless of the outcome, they’re heading to a World Cup, which is fantastic news for us.

“We aim to see more Melbourne Victory players represented in these squads, ranging from under-17s to under-20s and under-23s, so it’s essential for our club to continue nurturing talent for these teams and ultimately for our first team.”