Socceroos players who competed at this year's FIFA World Cup in North America are yet to be paid their match fees, three months after the tournament finished.
Just days after it was revealed that both male and female national team players were taking legal action against Football Australia (FA) over their revenue-sharing agreement, members of the 2026 Socceroos World Cup squad are pursuing Australia's football governing body for match payments.
Payment was due within a fortnight of the date they broke camp.
Australia were knocked out of the tournament at the round-of-32 stage in a loss to Egypt on 3 July.
FA, which recorded a $23 million loss over the last two financial years, said tax complications in the United States caused the delay.
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The body said it was working with the players' union, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), to "resolve the outstanding matters as quickly as possible" and that it was ready to make the payments.
"Before those payments can be processed, however, we require final specialist advice on the North American taxation obligations applicable to the payments, as well as some further player distribution information being provided through the PFA," FA said in a statement.
"Recognising the complexity of North American taxation requirements, FIFA facilitated access to specialist tax support for all participating member associations to help them understand and meet their respective obligations.
"We have been actively engaging with those specialist advisers since the World Cup to confirm the applicable tax and withholding treatment."
If a player sees game time, or is an unused substitute for the national team, they earn around $6,000 in match fees.
The Socceroos played two friendlies against Mexico and Switzerland before three World Cup group games and the Egypt shootout defeat, meaning players named for all six games are heading into camp this week out of pocket by roughly $36,000.
There were no known payment issues for the four friendlies which took place in the US in the October and November windows last year.
PFA chief executive Beau Busch said the situation was unacceptable.
"Any matter related to international tax was foreseeable and should have been addressed long before a ball was kicked at the tournament," he said.
Members of the squad who faced Brazil in two friendlies in Queensland in September are understood to have been paid in full.
FA's delay in paying World Cup match fees comes as players head into November's friendly window in the Middle East.
Some players have expressed concerns about travelling to the region — Australia will face Qatar in Doha and Jordan in Amman — amid the wider conflict.
The purpose of those friendlies in the current climate has been brought into question since the Asian Football Confederation opted to delay the Asian Cup.
Socceroos players, via their union, have urged FA to reschedule or relocate their upcoming friendly against Jordan in Amman due to safety concerns.
The Asian Football Confederation postponed that tournament, originally scheduled for January-February in Saudi Arabia, following the attack on Riyadh's international airport by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The Socceroos squad was expected to be named on Friday, but the announcement has been pushed back to the weekend amid uncertainty over whether some players will withdraw.
Indonesia's football association has already cancelled a 13 November planned friendly against Jordan in Amman amid an escalation in violence in the area, and the PFA made it clear Australian players didn't want to proceed.
"The PFA has worked with Football Australia over recent weeks in relation to security concerns regarding the upcoming assembly and engaged its own independent security experts," Busch said.
"With the full support of the PFA, the players have overwhelmingly expressed their view that the Jordan match should be rescheduled or relocated.
"We are committed to working with FA to reach a sensible solution."
