Racing
League
Rugby
Football
Cricket
Golf
Sport Nation
Olympics
Motorsport
Netball
Combat Sports
Basketball
Other Sports
FWC on Sport Nation guideFormer Socceroo reflects on “heartbreaking” 2006 loss to Italy
SEN • June 28th, 2026 3:31 pm
Former Socceroo Jason Culina played a big role for Australia in perhaps the nation’s most famous FIFA World Cup run in 2006.
Having last qualified in 1974, the ’06 group was a special one for the country, with Australia’s ‘golden generation’ making it to the Round of 16 after getting through a tough group that included Japan, hosts Germany and Croatia.
It was in the knockouts that they’d face eventual champs Italy, and while it was a bit of a mismatch on paper, the Aussies took the Italians all the way until the final whistle before ultimately going down 0-1.
Culina, who started on the right flank in that game, helped an Aussie side that had 58% possession compared to the Italians.
Looking back at the game, Culina is certain Australia could have won, particularly in the second half, once Marco Materazzi was given a red card in the 51st minute. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
“Do you know what, watching the game back now… because you have a different feeling when you've played it and just after the game's finished and even a couple of years on,” Culina told This is Your Journey – thanks to Tobin Brothers.
“But you look back now, and you think, ‘You know what, we could have actually won the game before that’.
“They had their opportunities too, don't get me wrong, they were a world-class team, they went on to win the World Cup that year.
“It was a big wake-up call for them, beating us in the last minute, and I know that for a fact because Alessandro Del Piero told me.
“It was a huge thing for them to get past us because they knew we were a really good team and we would have had a great draw.
“The heartbreaking thing about that is if we had beaten them… we would have played the likes of Ukraine in the following round, so we would have had a pretty good draw.”
The difference in the end was a 95th-minute penalty for Italy, won by Fabio Grosso and converted by Francesco Totti. But was it a penalty?
While in the eyes of the referee it was, the Socceroos certainly didn’t see it that way as Grosso fell over when barely touched by Lucas Neill in the box… something that Italian great Alessandro Del Piero may have also agreed on.
“Yes, in the eyes of the referee, but no, in the eyes of all of us,” Culina said.
“It's funny because I played with Del Piero at Sydney FC, he played in the A-League.
“I asked him the question, I said, ‘Alessandro, seriously, penalty?’. He goes, ‘Jason, maybe on this day it was a little bit windy and Grosso falling over’.
“He smiled after that. Even they knew that it wasn't a penalty.”
Listen to Culina's full chat with Sam Edmund below.
