Australia earns historic return to FIP World Cup as padel continues to rise

Australia is competing at the FIP World Cup for just the second time in history, marking a significant milestone in one the nation’s fastest growing sports.

The Aussie Crocs secured their ticket for the sport's premier international team event after claiming the final spot in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East qualifying region, defeating competition from 25 nations to earn a place among the world's best.

It’s the first time Australia has qualified since 2018, and comes as padel continues to experience unprecedented growth across the country. In the past nine months alone, the number of courts nationwide has doubled, surpassing 200 courts for the first time.

With more than 100 nations now represented within the International Padel Federation and almost 200 countries worldwide playing the sport, earning a spot at the FIP World Cup is a significant achievement for an emerging padel nation such as Australia.

Aussie Crocs captain Marius Zelba said he’s incredibly proud of the team and excited to bring the green and gold back to the world stage.

“I’m very privileged to be the captain of such a wonderful team. We have such a strong bond between all of us,” Zelba said.

“We’ve been through a lot, having tried to qualify in previous years and unfortunately come up short. This time, we went in as the underdogs. Not many people believed in us, but it just showed how much heart the boys have. The performance in the final demonstrated the determination and belief within this team."

“It means the world to all of us, not just me. I think I can speak for the whole team when I say this opportunity means everything. We’ve worked so hard to get here."

The Aussie Crocs opened their World Cup campaign in Doha this week against defending champions Argentina, with France and the Netherlands also in Australia's group.

While drawn against some of the sport's traditional powerhouses, Australia's presence on the world stage reflects the remarkable progress of padel locally and highlights the growing strength of the sport throughout the region.

The FIP World Cup features 32 nations, with 16 men's and 16 women's teams competing in Doha from 2-7 November.

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