Ipswich Town’s Cameron Burgess Dreams Of 2026 World Cup With Australia

Uncapped at international level until a month short of his 28th brithday, Ipswich Town’s Cameron Burgess could be on the verge of representing Australia at the World Cup.

The Aberdeen-born defender would have had no aspirations of representing the Socceroos growing up in the north of Scotland. His grandfather Campbell Forsyth made four appearances in goal for Scotland in 1964 and his father Stuart Burgess, also a defender, had a distinguished career in the Scottish leagues.

Yet when his family emigrated to Perth in the early part of the century. Burgess’ national loyalties shifted Down Under. Despite representing Scotland at under-18 and under-19 he soon pledged his allegiance to the country in which he spent his teenage years.

Arriving, aged 11, in a country that had just reached its first men’s World Cup finals in 32 years, he found a nation in the midst of a new soccer-fever as the Socceroos reached the Round of 16, unluckily eliminated by eventual champions Italy.

Burgess told me “football over there is very well participated. There’s a lot of competition for different sports but in terms of grassroots and things like that, there’s loads of teams, loads of opportunities and a hell of a lot of kids that play football over there. So it’s definitely a big sport over there and it’s growing as well.”

Part of that Australian side in 2006 was centre back Tony Popovic, who this autumn became the new head coach of the men’s national team. Australia currently sit in an automatic qualification spot in the Third Round of Asian qualification as they seek to reach their sixth successive finals tournament.

“I certainly hope so,” Burgess said to me about the prospect of playing in the 2026 World Cup. “That’s the goal, to be in those top two positions come the end of June and be going to the World Cup. I guess it’s a bit of a medium to long-term goal but if I can get myself to that World Cup it would be a special moment for me personally.”

Australia have one win and four draws from their six games so far in a tight qualification group and Burgess believes people in Europe can not comprehend the challenges presented by playing home and away over such a vast continent. “100%. It’s hard to explain it I guess. It’s one things to experience, but another thing to explain it.”

“These teams you go to, especially away from home, it’s so difficult. The conditions are difficult. The travel is also difficult as well, there’s a lot of elements to it. I definitely say it’s underestimated in how hard it is to get the job done against some of these teams that play vastly different styles and things like that to what maybe we’re used to at club level. I would definitely say so.”

In recent months, Burgess has had to travel from Suffolk to Bahrain, Bangladesh and Indonesia as well as home matches all over Australia. However, he relishes the challenge. “I just love going away with the team to be honest. To be able to represent your country is a special thing for me.”

The long-haul flights often mean that Burgess is the last player to return to the club after international breaks but is grateful that both Ipswich Town and Soccer Australia collaborate to cater for his every need. “The national team is very good at it, obviously they’ve been doing it for years and years. The treatment we get is top, I have to say. The same here. We’ve got all the sort of treatments and all the sort of advice that we can possibly need. We’re definitely well-equipped in that department.”

New head coach Popovic has certainly impressed Burgess since he took over the reigns of the Socceroos. “Things have changed in that department. I’d probably say that it’s gone a lot closer to the environment we have here at Ipswich in terms of how training is and how he wants us to be. Hopefully that can continue to improve us as a group and we can achieve our goals for the national team as well.”

Burgess had a one-year option in his contract activated over the summer but as it stands will be a free agent at the end of this season. Nevertheless he is unconcerned about his future. “It’s just the same. I’m just trying my best to keep playing, keep helping the team. I haven’t really given it too much thought. I’m not really one for that. I’m just one to try to work as hard as I possibly can and let everything else work itself out.”

If Burgess is still representing Ipswich Town in the summer of 2026, he will become only the eleventh player from the Suffolk side to play at the World Cup. Six of those took part in the 1982 finals indicating when Ipswich Town were enjoying their heyday. He told me “to be able to represent the club and everyone who helped me to get to that moment would be a special feeling.”

Yet Burgess could also be joined by his club team-mate Massimo Luongo, a veteran of two World Cups in Brazil and Russia before joining Ipswich Town at the start of 2023. Luongo retired from international football later that year. but has recently reversed his decision thanks in no small part to some badgering from Burgess.

“Every day, every day!” he joked. “He’s my roomie when we went on one of the trips, when we’re both in there together. Look, he’s a great friend of mine. Any squad with Mass in it is a better squad in my opinion. So yeah, it’s great to have him back out of retirement and available for selection.”

Burgess is currently enjoying a fine run of form for his club, starting five of the last six matches and almost registering his first Premier League goal last Sunday in the defeat at home to Bournemouth only to see it ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a foul by Liam Delap. “Fine margins I suppose in the Premier League,” admitted Burgess, “when there’s VAR and things like that involved. I felt it was a bit harsh on the disallowed goal. It is what it is, and you have to deal with it.”

He did however earn the Man of the Match award in that game and provided an assist for Ipswich Town’s goal scored by Conor Chaplin. “I think with Chappers, it was the biggest shout he’s ever done in his life I think for me to be able to hear him. It was a no-brainer, he’s done that all his career really, so great to tee him up and great to see him getting his first goal.”

In training, Burgess has to mark Delap, the club’s stand-out performer on their return to the Premier League after 22 years and understands what a handful he is. “He stands on your toes a lot!” he jokes. “He’s top quality and he works really hard, the same as all the boys in the building you know? It’s been great having him in and he’s been doing really well and hopefully he continues to do that.”