International Career
Kewell became the youngest player to début for the Australian national team when he played against Chile on 24 April 1996, aged 17 years and 7 months. In November 1997, Kewell was selected to play for Australia in the country's 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Iran. At the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, in front of an estimated crowd of 100,000, Kewell scored his first ever goal for his country and gave Australia a 1–0 lead. Iran eventually drew level and the game resulted in a 1–1 draw, which set up a tense return game in Melbourne.
A then-record crowd for a football match in Australia of 85,513 – at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – witnessed the second leg of the World Cup qualifier against Iran, as well as Kewell's second goal. The Socceroos eventually stretched their lead to two goals but Iran fought back and scored two vital away goals to finish the game 2–2 and qualify for the 1998 World Cup in France on away goals.
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