SEATTLE — The United States advanced to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Australia 2-0 on Friday, securing qualification from Group D with a strong performance at Lumen Field, according to match officials and tournament records. The U.S. victory came despite the absence of injured captain Christian Pulisic, who did not play in the match.
The hosts opened the scoring in the first half after Australia defender Cameron Burgess scored an own goal while attempting to stop a U.S. attack, Reuters reported. The United States doubled its lead before halftime when Alex Freeman headed in a goal that was initially ruled out for offside before being awarded following a video assistant referee review.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said the result showed the importance of having a deep squad during the tournament. “The most important thing is the team,” Pochettino said after the match, according to Reuters.
The victory gave the United States a place in the World Cup round of 32 after two group matches, according to the Associated Press. The team had previously defeated Paraguay in its opening Group D match, leaving the co-hosts with enough points to secure advancement before their final group fixture.
Australia struggled to create clear scoring opportunities in the first half as the U.S. controlled much of the early play, according to match reports. Australia coach Tony Popovic made second-half substitutions, including bringing on Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe, as his team attempted to change the direction of the match.
The result was a setback for Australia, which entered the match after winning its opening group game. Popovic said his team improved after halftime but was unable to overcome the two-goal deficit, according to reports from the match.
The United States entered the tournament as one of the co-host nations and is competing in Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay and Turkey. The team’s progress to the knockout round came before its final group-stage match, with its position in the group still dependent on remaining results.
On Monday, officials continued preparations for the next stage of the tournament as teams completed their remaining group matches. The United States is scheduled to play Turkey in its final Group D match, while Australia continues its qualification campaign with its remaining fixture against Paraguay.
