ALAMEDA, California - Though he's one of the least experienced players in the Socceroos' FIFA World Cup squad, Sydney FC phenom Paul Okon Jr is confident he'll be able to produce if called upon in the weeks ahead.
One of the few out-and-out midfielders tapped by coach Tony Popovic in his 26-man squad, Okon Jr's selection continued what has been a meteoric rise for the 21-year-old, having logged just 30 senior club games, all with Sydney FC during the 2025-26 season, so far in his professional career. That's the fewest of any member of the unit assembled in North America, with even 18-year-old Lucas Herrington making 46 across his time with Brisbane Roar and the Colorado Rapids.
This rapid progression, however, continued a prodigious trend in Okon Jr's career. After being a key member of the Young Socceroos' triumph at last year's U20 Asian Cup, the then-Benfica prospect was called into the senior setup for an Abu Dhabi-based training camp ahead of the June window and, after impressing Popovic, was named as part of the squad for subsequent qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
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Unlike Chris Ikonomidis before him, he didn't end up making his Socceroos debut before his professional club one in that window, watching on from the bench as qualification for 2026 was secured. But he didn't have to wait long for his first cap to come, either, it arriving five months later when he started in a friendly against Venezuela soon after his first appearances with the Sky Blues.
Clearly, he's not battle-tested in the same way that Aziz Behich or Jackson Irvine is. But after being confirmed as part of a young squad in which Popovic has declared every player has the chance to play, the newly crowned Sydney FC Player of the Year believes he's ready to contribute on football's biggest stage.
"I don't think you can really imagine what a World Cup feels like until you experience it," he said on Thursday. "It's every boy's dream come true to play at the highest level, and to do that at a World Cup is no better feeling.
"The boss gives a lot of confidence throughout to our young players. Obviously, there are a lot of young players in the squad. I don't think it matters how old you are; it just matters if you're ready or not, and how good you are. You'll get that opportunity if you're, if you're ready, and he's shown that.
"If I'm given the opportunity to play, I think I'm as ready as I can be. I'm ready to give my all, to give 100% for my team, and to contribute as much as possible to winning."
Teammate Ajdin Hrustić, who could contribute in both the midfield and attack for Australia in the weeks ahead, is familiar with quickly earning a place on the international stage -- he himself debuting for the Socceroos just two months after his senior club debut back in 2017.
And he made it very clear on Thursday that, in his view, Okon Jr is a player who belongs at this level.
"He's a great talent," Hrustić said. "He's a young kid coming in, and when you see him on the pitch, he looks mature, he looks ready, and he knows what he's doing. He's a good kid, off the pitch, also, and that's what's most important.
"You see the young boys coming through, just like I was once young, and I enjoy it. I like having words with them, I do it with most of the boys. It's experiencing and enjoying that moment. The World Cup doesn't come around every day, so you've got to get ready for this one, because it's four years until you get the next one [and] the question is, will you be at the next one? So, you've got to enjoy it, and really get 100% out of it."
