Australia 2006
Australia returned to the World Cup at Germany 2006 after a 32-year absence, and Guus Hiddink's Socceroos made every moment count. The group stage opener against Japan produced one of the tournament's most dramatic finishes: trailing 1-0 with six minutes left, Australia scored three times Tim Cahill striking twice and John Aloisi adding the third in injury time. Cahill became the first Australian to score at a World Cup. A draw with Croatia secured qualification to the round of 16, where Italy won 1-0 with a controversial last-minute penalty. Australia felt robbed, but the campaign reignited football in a country dominated by other codes. Cahill, Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, and Mark Schwarzer became household names, and the 2006 World Cup remains a watershed moment for Australian football.