Written off by many before their play-off battle with Peru, the Socceroos showed great determination to edge out their South American rival in a penalty shootout on Tuesday morning (AEST) to advance to a fifth-straight World Cup in Qatar in November and December.

"The success of the Socceroos or the Matildas, particularly around a World Cup, tends to see interest levels in the game increase, particularly at the entry level age groups,'' Shooter said.

"Kids talk about it at school or they see it on the news and they want to convert that into an opportunity to try it out.

"It's a huge driver for our sport."

Shooter said the success of men's and women's national teams and the ability to qualify for World Cups was an advantage "football" had over Australian Rules.

"It's a big point of difference,'' he said.

"It does a lot for diversity and inclusion. Whether Australia is your place of birth or the country you now reside in, people from all of the world's nationalities watch that sport played.

"It's going to be an exciting time for our sport."

Shooter said the way the Socceroos rallied from adversity to qualify for the World Cup was a great learning experience for young players in the region.

"BASL had a lot of kids representing the league at country championships over the weekend and the timing of the Socceroos' success is interesting for them,'' Shooter said.

"Our players went through the highs and lows of tournament play and then watching the national team come through on the right side of their tournament can only be a good thing for replicating those experiences."

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