Australian hero Mile Jedinak guides Socceroos to fifth FIFA World Cup finals

Jedinak, 33, captain of the Australia football team, scored a memorable hat-trick to bag a 3-1 win for his side against Honduras in Sydney on Wednesday.

mile jedinak, australia — Australia's Mile Jedinak celebrates after scoring a goalSteve Christo/Reuters

Australia beat Honduras 3-1 in the second leg of their intercontinental playoff on Wednesday November 15. The Socceroos, in the process, sealed qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia.

Australia football team captain Mile Jedinak scored a second half hat-trick in Sydney to put the Socceroos on course for a 3-1 aggregate victory. The first leg match in San Pedro Sula had ended goalless.

"It's a bit hard to describe, it's unreal ... we're very grateful we're going to another World Cup," the 33-year-old star Jedinak told news.com.au. "It's extra special. It was our duty to the nation as football players to get this job done."

This will be Australia's fifth appearance in a FIFA World Cup finals. Their best result in the tournament has been reaching the round of 16 phase in the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.

Well done to the @Socceroos awesome stuff. How goods this ???
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) November 15, 2017

FT: AUS ?? 3 - 1 HON??

Australia qualify for their fourth @FIFAWorldCup in a row now thanks to a superb hat-trick by Mile Jedinak! #RoadToRussia #AUSvHON pic.twitter.com/VVa3vJ0Tcp
— AFC (@theafcdotcom) November 15, 2017

Mile Jedinak hasn't scored a club goal since November 2014

Since then he has scored 10 for Australia. pic.twitter.com/joroIZbRrV
— Sportdec (@SportdecApp) November 15, 2017

(with Reuters inputs)