And an open training session at the Trudovye Rezervy Stadium let the Aussies make some friends before their World Cup opener against France on Saturday.

Socceroo Trent Sainsbury to likened it to a youth camp.

"It reminds me a lot of Canberra, the AIS, where I had some of my fondest memories," he said.

"I'm enjoying it because I'm with the boys pretty much 24/7 and one of the things I look forward to when I come into camp is hanging around with the boys as much as possible."  Read on

Four years on from his own formative World Cup experience, Massimo Luongo has backed teenage Socceroos prodigy Daniel Arzani to make an impact in Russia.

And he expects big things from the 19-year-old in the future - so long as he's not coached out of his individuality.

Arzani is the youngest player at the World Cup and enters the tournament off the back of a debut international goal against Hungary on Saturday.  Read on

Trent Sainsbury says taking on the Socceroos captaincy at the World Cup would be a cherished honour but he won't be too bothered if the opportunity passes him by.

There's no doubt that Mile Jedinak, the long-term Australian skipper, is the spiritual leader of the team. Read on