The Socceroos' claimed a 3-1 win over Honduras in the second leg of the intercontinental play-off as they qualified for the World Cup for a fourth-consecutive time.
The match build-up began in glorious afternoon sunshine in Sydney, with fans queuing up to get a glimpse of their Socceroos heroes, although some supporters were stranded amid public transport chaos.
Once the referee's whistle blew, all eyes were on the pitch as the Socceroos looked to shake out the nerves against a determined Honduran outfit.
But Honduras had done its homework, and successfully frustrated the Socceroos in the first stanza, with Tim Cahill often stranded out wide as Australia lacked an outlet up front.
The hope was that Honduras would tire as the match wore on, and once the opening goal came, the floodgates opened.
Captain Mile Jedinak opened the scoring with a deflected free-kick from just outside the box.
1-0 up became 2-0 soon after, as a Honduran handball in the area allowed Jedinak to slot home for a second of the night.
The cherry on the cake came when Robbie Kruse was put clean through, only to be hacked down when shaping to shoot, allowing Jedinak to complete a remarkable hat-trick with another goal from 12 yards.
The full-time whistle came, and Australia could now party. The Socceroos had reached the World Cup for a fourth consecutive time.
