20 years on from the Hyundai World Football Championship

In 2002, Peter Nikolakopoulos assembled a team of amateur and retired state and national soccer players to compete in the Hyundai World Football Championship. The Soccer Stars, as the team was called, went on to take out the title in a thrilling penalty shootout against the USA. It was Australia’s first soccer world title win.

Reflecting on the win and the journey since, Peter is so grateful for the experience that ignited his passion for coaching and development.

“After the win at the Hyundai World Football Championship in Korea, I came home and started coaching one kid,” he recalls. “One kid turned into two and there are now Football Star Academies in every state in Australia. Now under the umbrella of The AllStars Academy (TAA), we’re helping more Aussie kids… and growing.”

The road to the title

What do an accountant, a panel beater, a business development manager, an events manager and a couple of restaurateurs have in common? A love of football plus the skills and determination needed to take out a world title, that’s what!

The training to get to the final was rigorous and focused not only on the ball skills and strength they would need, but also on psychological preparation from their legendary coach, Sam Meyer.

“Football has always been a huge part of my life,” says Peter. “As a kid I had dreamed of representing Australia and here I was. We knew we had the skills to go all the way but here we were up against pro players and teams with incredible reputations. Psychologically steeling ourselves for the tournament was just as important as honing our skills.”

72 teams across Australia entered the Hyundai five-a-side tournament to earn the honour to represent Australia. The Soccer Stars came out of the local, state and national rounds victorious. They also then won the Asia-Pacific regional finals in Singapore. This secured their place in the final 11 to compete at Korea’s Seoul World Cup Plaza in a knockout competition.

Making history

The final game broke a 35 game winning streak for the USA. It was the icing on the cake after defeating two other powerhouse soccer nations – Russia in the semi final and Portugal in the first final round. All three teams – USA, Russia and Portugal – were stacked with pro players, making the victory even sweeter. 

At the time, Soccer Australia chairman, Ian Knopp said, “The Stars were absolutely true to their name. Although nominally amateur, this tournament was played out in an intensely competitive and international spirit at very high skill levels with no quarter given.

“The boys graphically showed the depth of soccer talent in Australia and the potential of the country to be a force in the world football code.” 

During the final, the stadium was filled with chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.” The final match and presentations were replayed on Korean SBS TV the morning after with follow-up stories on Australia's nine network and SBS.

In the 20 years since, the popularity of football in Australia has exploded. 

The making of The AllStars Academy (TAA)

When Peter initially started coaching and development, football was the natural choice. He was a hero of the sport.

However, he very quickly realised that there were future stars of other sports that needed the same type of coaching and development he was offering. This grew into Sport Star Academy, which now offers programs in football, basketball, cricket, tennis, AFL, rugby, golf, netball, athletics, swimming and volleyball.

“There was always more to Sport Star Academy than just sport,” Peter explains. “Yes, we were giving the kids a solid foundation in their chosen sport but we were also creating a movement of change for tomorrow’s grassroots leaders.”

With this purpose in mind, The AllStars Academy was born. The AllStars Academy offers children more than a sports program. It is a holistic set of programs that brings together sport, wellness, the arts, e-sports, education and STEM.

In many ways, 2002 seems like it was only yesterday. That finals win is certainly etched in Peter’s mind forever. It’s a huge part of his inspiration for what he does everyday to develop the stars of tomorrow who’ll also grow up to represent Australia on the global stage.