Socceroos forward Mitch Duke has officially retirement from international football.
Duke had publicly stated his intention to call time on his international career after the FIFA World Cup, whether he was involved or not.
The 35-year-old was not selected by Tony Popovic’s for the 2026 campaign in North America, where the Socceroos reached the Round of 32.
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Now Duke, who has re-joined J1 League side Machida Zelvia in Japan, has farewelled the international arena.
Duke scored 13 goals in 50 appearances for the Socceroos, having debuted in 2013. He also featured at the 2022 World Cup and scored that memorable goal against Tunisia in Qatar.
“After a lot of reflection, the time has come for me to officially announce my retirement from international football,” Duke said.
“As a kid growing up in Australia, I dreamed of wearing the green and gold just once. To have gone on to represent my country 50 times is a dream come true 50 times over, and a privilege I never took for granted.
“While I will cherish every memory, scoring for Australia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup remains the absolute highlight of my career. It has been the greatest honour of my life to pull on the Socceroos jersey and represent our nation.
“Thank you to everyone for the support. I walk away forever grateful and forever proud.”
Socceroos head coach Popovic added: “I’d like to congratulate Mitch Duke on an outstanding contribution to the Socceroos. Not many players reach the 50-cap milestone, and fewer have scored at a FIFA World Cup.
“Mitch played an important role in our most recent FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. He started in my first match as Head Coach and scored our final qualifying goal against Saudi Arabia.
“He gave absolutely everything in his bid to help us reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At all times, he was a fantastic professional, and we wish him all the best.”
Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler said: “Mitch Duke embodied everything that Australians value in a footballer – resilience, determination, humility and an unwavering commitment to the team.
“He represented our country with distinction and played a significant role in some memorable moments for the CommBank Socceroos.
“Beyond his performances on the pitch, Mitch was a respected leader whose professionalism and character set an example for the next generation of Australian players.
“On behalf of Football Australia and the entire Australian football community, we thank Mitch for his service to the game and wish him and his family all the best and every success in the years ahead.”
