FIFA World Cup 2026: USA become second team to reach Round of 32 after 2-0 win over Australia
Seattle, June 20
Hosts United States booked their place in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a convincing 2-0 victory over Australia in their Group D clash on Friday.
With the win, the United States became the second team after Mexico to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament.
Following their 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles, Mauricio Pochettino's side delivered another dominant performance in Seattle to extend their strong start and move within touching distance of the Round of 32.
Folarin Balogun, who scored twice in the opening match of the United States, played a key role in the opener when Australia defender Cameron Burgess turned his cut-back into his own net in the 11th minute.
The second goal came through defender Alex Freeman, with VAR overturning an initial offside decision. Freeman headed in Sergino Dest's deflected effort after a corner to double the lead.
Australia head coach Tony Popovic made changes, bringing on Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe--both dropped from the previous win over Turkey at halftime in an attempt to shift momentum.
However, the Socceroos struggled to threaten in a second half that was largely disjointed and lacked clear chances.
The result takes the United States to six points and into the Round of 32 ahead of their final Group D match against Turkey in Los Angeles. They will top the group if Turkey fail to defeat Paraguay later in the day.
The United States have now benefited from five own goals in World Cup history, including two in the current edition alone. It is also only the second time they have scored multiple first-half goals in back-to-back matches at the tournament, the first instance dating back to the inaugural 1930 World Cup, according to the FotMob website.
Their overall tally has already reached six goals, leaving them just one short of their best-ever return in a single World Cup--seven goals, achieved in both 1930 and 2002. They will be eager to surpass that mark when they face Turkiye in their final group fixture.
The USA will return to Los Angeles for that match and could potentially secure top spot in Group D if Paraguay avoid defeat against Turkiye. Meanwhile, Australia's qualification hopes remain alive, but they face a must-win clash against the South Americans in their final group game. Both fixtures are scheduled for June 25.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The energy in Seattle must have been electric! ⚡️ As an Indian, I love seeing the 2026 World Cup being played across three countries—what a celebration of global football. But Australia needs to step up; their midfield was completely invisible. Hope they bounce back against Paraguay.
Balogun is turning into a proper star. That own goal was unfortunate for Burgess, but you make your own luck. What concerns me is the USA's reliance on these deflected goals—six of their total came from own goals through history. They need to create more clean chances if they want to go deep.
Australia's decision to drop Irankunda and Metcalfe was a tactical blunder. They looked flat and predictable. India could learn from this—we need to develop our system so that one loss doesn't derail the entire strategy. But well played, USA—they look like genuine contenders now.
The growth of football in the USA is something else. From a 'soccer country' to second team into the Round of 32—that's a massive leap. Meanwhile, here in India, we're still dreaming of qualifying. But hey, at least we have the FIFA Club World Cup coming up! 😉 Just wish our national team had this consistency.
Impressive from Pochettino—he's turned this team into a well-oiled machine. But am I the only one who thinks the USA's group is relatively easy? Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey aren't exactly world-beaters. Let's see how they fare against real European giants in the knockouts
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