World Cup 2022: Uruguay-born Bruno Fornaroli to be called into Socceroos squad for World Cup qualifiers

Born and raised in Uruguay, Fornaroli came to Australia in 2015 as an unknown quantity, but quickly made his mark as one of the A League’s best ever strikers, scoring 81 goals in 134 games.

His inclusion comes at a crucial stage of Australia’s World Cup campaign in which Graham Arnold has had to rely on foreign-born players like Martin Boyle, Harry Souttar and Fran Karacic, all of whom had parents born in Australia, exposing the lack of local depth produced in the past decade.

Socceroos representation for Fornaroli only became possible with a tweak in the FIFA eligibility rules in 2020. Fornaroli played for Uruguay’s under 17 national youth team in 2003 and, prior to FIFA’s change in stance, was only able to play for Uruguay, holding no other passport or parental eligibility.

FIFA, however, scrapped the underage national team element in 2020, opening the door for any player who had spent five continuous years in another country to represent that nation.

Fornaroli’s time in Australia is now up to seven years making him eligible.

“If the opportunity comes I want to take it and I am happy to defend this country,” Fornaroli told the Herald Sun in 2018.

“This country opened the door to me and my family and we are very grateful.

“It’s a great national team. I would be very happy to play for Australia one day if they want me.”

The 34 year-old’s eligibility helps ease a striker crisis for the Socceroos.

Jamie Maclaren is unavailable with his wedding, postponed three times, finally locked in for when the Japan and Saudi games are on, while Adam Taggart is out after a recent knee operation.

The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday reported Nikita Rukavytsya, who has scored over 70 goals in the last six seasons in Israel, can’t get back into Australia, having not received two Covid-19 vaccines.

That has left Arnold with little choice but to rely on the new FIFA regulations to select Fornaroli, who has scored seven goals this season for Perth Glory. His connection former City teammate and Socceroos linchpin Aaron Mooy could prove crucial.

Their combination in the 2015-16 season, in which Fornaroli scored 25 goals in 29 games, made Melbourne City one of the best attacking teams in the history of the competition.

Young Melbourne Victory striker Nick D’Agostino, whose goal helped qualify the Olyroos for the Tokyo Games – Australia’s first showing at an Olympics in men’s football for 13 years – will also be selected in the squad.

The Socceroos play Japan at home on March 24, then away in Saudi Arabia five days later.

Australia must win both games if they are to automatically qualify for this November’s World Cup.

Failure to do so will mean going down the playoff route in the middle of the year, where Australia could meet old nemesis, and the country of Fornaroli’s birth, Uruguay to get to a fifth straight World Cup.