The USMNT secured a crucial victory against Australia at Seattle Stadium. With this win, the standings in Group D have shifted dramatically ahead of the final matchday of the opening stage.
With Christian Pulisic sidelined due to an injury suffered in their opener against Paraguay, the United States still managed to dictate the tempo against Australia, securing the definitive result USA needed to comfortably advance to the Round of 32.
| Pos/Team | GP/GD | Pts |
| United States (Q) | 2 (+5) | 6 |
| Australia | 2 (0) | 3 |
| Turkiye | 1 (-2) | 0 |
| Paraguay | 1 (-3) | 0 |
The USMNT is in the Round of 32
Following Mexico’s early clinching of the top spot in Group A on Thursday, the USMNT followed suit just a day later. With a perfect six points, Mauricio Pochettino’s side has mathematically locked up the group leadership and guaranteed a favorable path into the knockout stage.
The USMNT has secured two victories in its first two games of the 2026 World Cup. Australia remains stuck on three points and could still theoretically tie the Stars and Stripes at six points; however, FIFA’s head-to-head tie-breaker rules guarantee the co-hosts the ultimate advantage even if the USA falls in its final group match.
No Pulisic, no problem
Pulisic remained on the bench for the match against the Socceroos, as Mauricio Pochettino wisely chose not to risk his star player’s long-term tournament availability. Fortunately for the USMNT, they didn’t need Captain America on the pitch to successfully overcome this physical test.
An own goal from Australian defender Cameron Burgess and a sharp finish from Alex Freeman provided the damage for the United States, proving that Pochettino has plenty of attacking weapons at his disposal. Pulisic, who shined against Paraguay in the first match, remains hopeful to be fully fit for the final group stage fixture against Turkiye.
