Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League title-winning manager Tony Popovic has been appointed as the new head coach of Australia's Socceroos, Football Australia (FA) announced on Monday.

Popovic, 51, has been appointed as the head coach of the men's national team on a contract that runs through the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Graham Arnold, the longest-serving head coach in Socceroos history, resigned earlier in September.

Popovic, who played for the Socceroos 58 times between 1995 and 2006, said he was extremely honored.

"This is undoubtedly a very proud moment for myself and my family. To be entrusted with guiding our national team is a privilege that I do not take lightly," Popovic said in a statement.

"I fully understand the weight of responsibility and the high expectations that come with this position," he said.

Popovic is a three-time coach of the year in Australia's A-League and in 2014 coached Western Sydney Wanderers to the AFC Champions League title -- the only time an Australian club has won the prestigious competition.

His appointment as Socceroos coach comes in the midst of the AFC qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

Australia were beaten by Bahrain and drew with Indonesia in their opening games of the third round of qualifying, leaving the Socceroos fifth in Group C as they aim to qualify for a sixth consecutive World Cup.

The top two teams in the group will qualify directly for the tournament and the next two will progress to a fourth round of qualifying.

The Socceroos will next play China in Adelaide on October 10, and Japan in Saitama on October 15.

FA chief executive James Johnson said that Popovic's understanding of Australian football and of what it means to be a Socceroo made him the ideal candidate to lead the national team. 

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