Verbeek said after the stalemate in the Persian Gulf state that his men had done everything asked of them in the campaign and firmly deserved their place in the best 32 nations in the world next June.

"I think the World Cup is the highest possible honour for any coach and any player," he said afterwards. "I'm already looking forward to going there, and so are all the players."

Verbeek said he would spend time celebrating the successes of the past 18 months with his players over the next few days before turning his attention to the upcoming home games against Bahrain in Sydney and Japan in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, FFA CEO Ben Buckley has praised Verbeek for his efforts since taking charge of the Socceroos at the start of 2008.

"I am sure everyone joins us in congratulating Pim Verbeek, his staff and the Socceroos for this wonderful outcome," Buckley said.

"It's another first for Australian football, and it's come off the back of a comprehensive qualification pathway which began in February last year."

Buckley said the true character of the Socceroos had shone through in a tough qualifying campaign.

"Qualifying this time around, with the travel and match conditions the team has experienced, is a true measure of the progress football has made," he said.

"While 'do or die' results, such as the famous Uruguay game four years ago are exciting, a qualifying campaign such as this one through the Asian zone is a tough test."

"We could not be more delighted," he said.