Newcastle Jets striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos made his international debut as the Socceroos cruised past Palestine 5-0 at HBF Stadium on Perth on Tuesday night.
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On the day his club side secured its future with Maverick Sports Partners unveiled as new owners, Stamatelopoloulos was introduced in the 64th minute for Adam Taggart.
Wearing the No.4 shirt, Stamatelopoulos became Socceroo 644 and the first Jet to play for the Socceroos since Dimi Petratos in 2018.
He was busy from the get-go, dropping back to help the Socceroos play out of a tight situation.
Playing alongside childhood friend Yengi, Stamatelopoulos put himself about without getting a clear chance on goal.
"It was a nice feeling to make my debut," Stamatelopoulos told Channel 10. "There was a little bit of adrenaline when I came on. Growing up with the Adelaide boys was a big help coming into camp.
Asked if playing for the national team was on his radar when he returned from Greece to play for the Jets last season, Stamatelopoulos said: "The only thing on my radar was putting the ball in the back of the net. I knew if I could do that consistently this would eventually come. It definitely came a lot sooner than I expected. I am just really proud to wear the Australian jersey."
The Socceroos finished the second stage of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with six wins and a total scoreline of 22-0.
The next round of qualifiers start in September.
The clash against Palestine was just the sixth time the senior men's national team had played in Perth.
The Socceroos, freshened up with nine new faces from the 2-0 win over Bangladesh last Thursday, had the match wrapped up at half-time, leading 3-0.
The home side benefited from two contentious calls.
Kusini Yengi scored the first of his double from the spot in the fifth minute after a soft penalty.
Aziz Behich collided with a Palestine defender in the box. The contact appeared innocuous but the referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot, sparking protests from the visitors.
Yengi made no mistake, driving the ball into the left corner to notch goals in three consecutive games.
Palestine, like the Socceroos, had already booked a place in the next stage and threw a few punches at the home side.
Australian centreback Alessandro Circati, who was outstanding, snuffed out a chance with a crucial block.
The Socceroos doubled their advantage in the 25th minute when Martin Boyle burst down the right and cut a square ball for Taggart to drill a first-time shot inside the right post.
It was the home-town hero's first international goal in Perth and his first for the Socceroos in almost five years.
Boyle was dynamic on the right, while Keanu Baccus and captain Jackson Irvine controlled the midfield.
The Socceroos third goal four minutes before half-time involved some neat interplay.
Irvine released Boyle who cut inside and then threaded a pass for Yengi. The Portsmouth striker appeared to be offside but the assistant referee's flag remained down and Yengi turned and twisted past his defender before slotting a left foot shot into the net.
The Socceroos were in party mode.
Five minutes after the break, Taggart set up Boyle for a tap-in.
Replacement Netsory Irankunda iced the game with a penalty in the 88th minute after a handball.