World Cup 2026: Hosts USA book knockout spot with defeat of Australia

The United States advanced to the World Cup knockout rounds with a game to spare following a 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle, further bolstering the hopes of the host nation. This marks the first time the US has clinched a knockout berth after only two matches in a World Cup. The US joins fellow co-host Mexico as the first teams to progress, and could secure top spot in Group D if Turkey fails to beat Paraguay later Friday.

Without Christian Pulisic, who failed to recover from a calf injury, coach Mauricio Pochettino switched to a 4-4-2 formation, bringing in second striker Ricardo Pepi. The US was gifted an early lead in the 11th minute from an own goal by Australian defender Cameron Burgess. In the 44th minute, Alex Freeman doubled the lead with a header from a looping ball, initially flagged offside but overturned by VAR.

Australia, which had surprisingly dropped both goalscorers from their win over Turkey, looked toothless in the first half. They made three changes at halftime, bringing on Connor Metcalfe and Nestory Irankunda, but their best chance came in the 62nd minute when Cristian Volpato skied his shot. The US held on for the clean sheet and will now face Turkey next Thursday with their spot in the round of 32 already secured.