Socceroos: Call for public holiday as fans celebrate famous World Cup win against Denmark

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been asked to consider a public holiday in honour of the Socceroos after they broke a 16-year drought in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Raucous cheers emanated from pubs, clubs and lounge rooms across the country as Mathew Leckie scored the first and only goal of the game in the 60th minute, leading to the 1-0 defeat of Denmark.

Australia will now progress into the group stages – a feat not achieved since stars Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill took to the field in 2006.

It is also the first time the team has won two matches in any World Cup series.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said he would take up the prospect of a public holiday with the PM.

“Maybe we’ll wait until after we see what happens with Argentina – but it’s just a great thing to wake up to,” he told ABC Breakfast.

The historic win saw thousands of fans crammed into Federation Square in Melbourne’s CBD where an outdoor screening of the match quickly descended into mayhem.

When the final seconds of the game ran out, fans roared in cheers and emotional scenes played out over a sea of green and gold.

The sound of flares exploding into the night could be heard right through the game play.

Once the game was called and it was clear the Socceroos had broken the 16-year-drought, the flares covered the sky with a red haze.

The Socceroos take to the pitch again this Sunday, December 4 with predictions they will be facing off against Argentina in the first knockout round.