Jackson Irvine insists the Socceroos' inferiority complex is consigned to the past as Australia prepare to face world No.1 Brazil, before tackling more of the world's top teams at the Confederations Cup.
Ange Postecoglou's national team arrived in Melbourne on Friday night, buoyed after Thursday's 3-2 win over Saudi Arabia that lifted their World Cup qualifying campaign off a knife's edge.
At the Confederations Cup in Russia, Australia will face formidable opposition in world No. 3 Germany, No. 4 Chile and African champions Cameroon.
Midfielder Irvine conceded the mood might have been starkly different had a draw or loss to the Saudis sent them hurtling towards the playoffs for the first time since they moved to the Asian confederation from Oceania.
"If anyone says any differently they'd probably be kidding themselves," Irvine said. "We were aware of the pressure ... now we have it [the win over Saudi Arabia] in the bag it does set us up in a positive light for the month.
"We want to go and compete for another trophy. It starts with a performance against Brazil."
Skipper Mile Jedinak, Robbie Kruse, Ryan McGowan, Mark Milligan and Tom Rogic will all played in a forgettable 6-0 thumping at the hands of Brazil four years ago.
But 24-year-old Irvine, Burton Albion's player of the season and one of Postecoglou's most promising talents, said the Socceroos had bought into their coach's rejection of Australia's traditional tag as plucky underdogs.
"One of the biggest things the boss tried to instil in this squad is belief and change of mindset, that we're not little Australia competing against these nations," Irvine said. "If we ever want to become a world-class nation we need to believe we can not just compete, but go and beat these teams."
Brazil have scored 25 goals and conceded only three since Tite took the managerial reins 12 months ago. Friday night's 1-0 friendly loss to Argentina at the MCG was the first of Tite's tenure, and came in the absence of Neymar.
Postecoglou's revamped 3-4-3 system is still bedding in and was exposed by the Saudis enough to suggest five-time world champions Brazil could do some damage.
Yet a cool-headed Irvine is confident the 48th-ranked Socceroos have the skill and mettle to dictate terms against the likes of Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, Chelsea's Willian and Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho.
"We out-possessed England in England [England 2-1 Australia 12 months ago] -- people forget those things," he said. "We know we're capable of playing a possession-based game against the best because we've done it in the past."