Why is Australia’s men’s soccer team called the Socceroos? Nickname explained
Featuring kangaroos and wordplay, the story behind Australia’s famous Socceroos nickname stretches back decades.
The Australia national soccer team has become a regular fixture at the FIFA World Cup over the last two decades, qualifying for six tournaments in a row since 2006. They also have one of the best-known nicknames of any nation in world soccer: the Socceroos.
If you are thinking there is an obvious reference being made, you would be right. Socceroos is a portmanteau, a word formed by combining two separate words. In this case, “soccer” is paired with the “oos” from kangaroos, the iconic animal found on Australia’s coat of arms.
Although the origin of the term has been debated online, the most widely cited theory is that it was coined by Sydney journalist Tony Horstead in 1967, before the national team traveled on a tour of Vietnam.
A naming tradition rooted in animals
The Socceroos nickname fits into a broader Australian tradition, where national teams across multiple sports are tied to animals and cultural symbols.
In soccer, the men’s Olympic team are known as the Olyroos, while the futsal team is called the Futsalroos. The women’s national team, meanwhile, are known as the Matildas, a name derived from “Waltzing Matilda,” the famous bush ballad. The phrase is also slang for traveling on foot with all your belongings packed into a bedroll or swag carried on your back.
In other sports, Australia’s rugby union teams are called the Wallabies for the men and the Wallaroos for the women. Rugby league follows a similar pattern, with the men’s team known as the Kangaroos and the women’s team called the Jillaroos. Female kangaroos are also known as jills.
More than just soccer
The naming theme continues in basketball, where the men’s national team is called the Boomers, a reference to a term for male kangaroos. The under-21 team is known as the Crocs, with Australia’s men’s handball team also carrying the Crocodiles nickname.
The list goes on, reinforcing a uniquely Australian approach to national team identity that leans heavily on wildlife, wordplay and cultural references.
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