"Everything is possible, so keep going." That's Awer Mabil's message to displaced people around the world this Refugee Week — delivered from a World Cup media conference, days before Australia face the United States in Seattle.
The timing isn't coincidental. It's almost cinematic. Mabil was born in Kakuma, Kenya, to South Sudanese parents who fled civil war. He arrived in Australia at age 10 through the country's humanitarian resettlement program and started kicking a ball around in Adelaide. Now he's 30, a senior Socceroos figure, and standing on the biggest stage in football while Refugee Week runs parallel to the tournament.
A squad with a shared story
Mabil isn't alone in that journey. He considers himself a "big brother" to teammates Mo Touré and Nestory Irankunda — both refugees from Africa, both now representing Australia at a World Cup. Irankunda, just 20 years old, became the youngest Socceroo to score a World Cup goal when he netted in a 2-0 win over Turkey on Saturday in Vancouver. The next generation isn't just arriving — it's already delivering.
That result matters beyond the scoreline. Australia are building genuine momentum, and defender Alessandro Circati put it plainly: "I don't want to be the underdogs for the rest of my life." That's not bravado — it's a squad that has started to earn respect on the pitch. How far they go against the USA on Friday will go a long way toward proving whether that confidence is justified. Any odds on Australia as value underdogs in that fixture look more credible after the Turkey performance than they would have a week ago.
Mabil's own role has been limited — brief substitute appearances in two group-stage games four years ago, and he didn't feature in the opener this cycle. But his value to this squad clearly isn't measured purely in minutes. He's been a presence in the camp, part of a viral pre-tournament video carrying the message: "No matter where you come from, football is for everyone."
Senior player, different job
"Coming in as a senior player I think is more mental," Mabil said. "Sometimes you want to slap them" — a joke, but one that reveals how seriously he takes the role. Not every contribution shows up in the stats.
There was a moment during Tuesday's press conference when commentator David Basheer — a familiar face from Australia's SBS network — asked a question. Mabil's reaction said everything. "I grew up watching you," he told him, visibly moved. A man who spent his childhood in a refugee camp was now being interviewed ahead of a World Cup knockout match, recognised by a broadcaster he'd watched as a kid.
"We are in a world stage right now, in a big tournament — just to tell you everything is possible."
