USA, Entering the Knockout Stages of the World Cup 2026 After Losing to Australia, 2-0
The United States advanced to the Group Stage of the 2026 World Cup after defeating Australia, 2-0, in Seattle. Even without Christian Pulisic, the US showed good attack and defense to secure their spot in the single-elimination round.
Seattle — The United States is in the knockout rounds of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a 2-0 win against Australia in Seattle. Despite a more heated second period, the US did not relinquish their advantage and won.
After the carnival-like victory against Paraguay last week, the Stars and Stripes rallied again in the opening half. Although Christian Pulisic was missing in action—who was unable to play due to a calf injury in the opening game—the team did not hesitate in their attack.
The first goal was scored early in the 11th minute after the action of Folarin Balogun who crossed for Ricardo Pepi. But Cameron Burgess of Australia couldn't avoid the ball, so it ended up in his own goal and gives the US a 1-0 lead. This is historic, because in the first two matches of the US in this World Cup, an own goal from the opponent was the first point in each game.
Despite the loss of Pulisic, the American attack was still solid, especially on the right where Sergiño Dest broke out with his back-and-forth and breakthrough runs. The score was increased in the 44th minute when Alex Freeman smashed in a header after Dest's corner kick, which was initially ruled offside but was reversed and confirmed by VAR to make it 2-0.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/02-2026-06-19t191423z-486614728-up1em6j1hfxoz-rtrmadp-3-soccer-worldcup-usa-aus.JPG?c=16x9&q=w_800,c_fill" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>The first half ended in a physical tussle after Freeman brought down Australia's Jordan Bos, resulting in tension before the halftime whistle.
At the change of half, the US maintained control although Australia began to attack and threaten to recover through Nestory Irankunda and Cristian Volpato. There was still a scuffle inside the box but the penalty complaint against Tyler Adams was dismissed. Goalkeeper Matt Freese was strong in defense against the successive shots of the Socceroos.
In the final period, Australia became more aggressive, but the US held back defensively—even if their defense hit a warning sign for the next few games. Yellow cards and small fights followed one after the other, but America was unable to achieve their goal.
At the end of the game, the entire Seattle stadium applauded for team USA, who now have the knockout stage within reach to continue their campaign in the World Cup 2026. According to Coach Pochettino, it was a "fantastic game" for his team and praised the strong and tireless support of their fans. He also expressed the hope that Pulisic can return immediately for the next matches and strengthen the team even more.
The US next plays against Turkey at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. If Paraguay wins or draws against Turkey, the US could also clinch the top of Group D.
