Australia will launch their qualifying campaign Thursday for the 2026 World Cup, with Palestine also among the 36 teams in action in Asia.
A record eight direct spots and one intercontinental playoff berth are up for grabs for Asian Football Confederation sides at the expanded World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Nine groups of four in the AFC will play each other home and away, with the top two from each going through to the final qualifying round.
Australia, who reached the World Cup last 16 in Qatar, begin their campaign against Bangladesh in Melbourne.
Coach Graham Arnold told reporters that the time for "experimenting is over", with the Asian Cup in Qatar also just two months away.
"Now it's all about getting the tactics right and getting the players on the pitch and their performance right, and winning those games at all costs," he said.
The Socceroos have also been drawn alongside Lebanon and Palestine in Group I.
Palestine are away to Lebanon in their opener but the conflict between Israel and Hamas means they will play the home game against Australia on neutral ground in Kuwait next week.
