“Our registrations of interest for Qatar were in the hundreds. Our registrations of interest for the USA, Mexico, Canada are in the thousands,” said Edgley.

“That’s a good example of where the appeal of this event lies. There’s 7000 to 10,000 Australians that regularly go to World Cups … most of those people will want to go to Mexico, because they understand that Mexico is a thriving football nation.”

Kevin Pollard, of Travelrite International and the founder of supporters’ group Football Roos, has supported the Socceroos at the last five World Cups, stretching back to Germany in 2006. Next year, on what will be his sixth trip, he intends to take his 10-year-old son, Callum, for the first time.

“I sent out the email at about 9.30 this morning, and over 50 people have reached out already,” said Pollard. “We generally have small group tours. It’s just easy to manage, we have a maximum of about 100.

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“People missed Qatar last time [in 2022, due to COVID disruptions], and they’re getting ready for this one. So there’ll be a lot of interest.”

Pollard said his tours for the 2026 World Cup would cost around $8000, but prices could not be finalised until the draw determines the venues at which the Socceroos will play. The tours typically do not include flights or match tickets, but cover accommodation, transportation around the city, sightseeing and food.