The chatter in a café in the Canberra suburb of Harrison suddenly fell silent as the Socceroos prepared for the penalty shootout against Egypt. For a few tense moments, every eye was fixed on the television.

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Only moments earlier, my friends and I had been doing what football supporters do best, debating players, tactics and our favourite teams. One supported England, another Brazil, another Argentina. We followed different clubs and, outside the World Cup, different national teams.

But when the Socceroos played, none of that mattered.

We all wanted Australia to win.

That simple moment in a Canberra café captured something much bigger. It showed how quickly sport can bring people together and create a sense of belonging.

Throughout the World Cup, I found myself planning my days around Socceroos matches, like millions of other Australians. Across Canberra, cafés, homes, clubs and public spaces became gathering places. In Garema Place, supporters gathered around the big screen to watch the team they all called their own.

People who had never met before celebrated together. They shared nervous moments together. They shared disappointment together.

For a few weeks, Canberra looked like the city many of us know it to be every day: diverse, welcoming and connected.

That experience made me reflect on my own journey.

When I arrived in Australia in 1992, I was a migrant trying to understand a new country and build a future.........

© Canberra Times