Multiple Authors<\/p>\n
Apr 16, 2026, 02:53 PM<\/p>\n
Melbourne City<\/a> attacker Mathew Leckie<\/a>, out-of-contract and haunted by injury in recent years, says looking beyond the end of the A-League Men<\/a> season towards a potential fourth FIFA World Cup<\/a> would be “silly.”<\/p>\n But the hero from the Socceroos<\/a>‘ win over Denmark<\/a> at the 2022 tournament has told ESPN that he’s determined to continue playing and that, as long as he is, he’ll “never” remove himself from national team contention.<\/p>\n Leckie, 35, underwent surgery in December, seeking to address underlying labral tears and a reduced range of motion brought about excess bone in the joint. Struck down repeatedly by hamstring injuries in recent years, it’s hoped that the procedure will address them at their root cause, as well as improving his quality of life in the long-term.<\/p>\n “I didn’t want to not try to do everything possible to fix and fix my issue,” Leckie told ESPN.<\/p>\n – The Far Post: Was unchanged Matildas attack the right call vs. Kenya?<\/a> The veteran made his first appearance for City since last Halloween when he came on as an 83rd minute substitute in their 2-0<\/a> win over Wellington Phoenix<\/a> last Sunday, playing in a midfield role that City boss Aurelio Vidmar indicated he will likely be deployed in the remainder of the season. With just two weeks of the A-League campaign, plus finals, remaining, it was a return that gives him limited time to press his case for selection in Tony Popovic’s World Cup squad. For now, though, he’s not allowing himself to look too far ahead.<\/p>\n “I’ve made it very clear that I’ve always loved the national team,” he told ESPN. “The national team’s really something special. That is a privilege.<\/p>\n “But the reality is over the past two years, my injuries and what I’ve sort of dealt with, I haven’t really been able to play football, whereas that’s all I want to do. All I care about is getting back fit and being able to play. So for me to think that far ahead and think about the World Cup is a bit silly in the sense that I need to take the first step; which is start playing football and be consistent.<\/p>\n “Whether you know, I want to be [at the World Cup] or not, if I’m not playing, then it doesn’t even give me an opportunity for the coach to sit there and say ‘you’re a chance.’ If I’m not playing, I’m not going to get picked.<\/p>\n “I knew that if I got the surgery and I could come back and play a handful of games, that could give me a bit of a chance. But I definitely wouldn’t say that’s the only other reason. There’s a lot of reasons why I did it.<\/p>\n “I’m out of contract at the end of this year, and I feel like, mentally and physically, when I don’t get injured, I still have the potential and the ability to keep playing football. I still want to continue playing.”<\/p>\n
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– World Cup kit ranking: Which teams will look best in 2026?<\/a><\/p>\nMathew Leckie, left, faces a race against time to prove his fitness and form ahead of the 2026 World Cup.\u00a0Robert Cianflone\/Getty Images<\/p>\n