United States vs Australia

Without their talisman Christian Pulisic, the United States delivered a composed and clinical display to beat Australia 2-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle, booking their place in the World Cup 2026 knockout round. The opening goal came just 11 minutes in, when Folarin Balogun's dangerous cross from the left forced Australian defender Cameron Burgess into an awkward own goal. USA doubled their lead before the break when Alex Freeman rose to head home after a deflected effort from Sergiño Dest. The goal was initially chalked off for offside, but a lengthy VAR review overturned the decision, sending the Seattle crowd into delirium. For the United States, it's a statement result — no Pulisic, no problem. A first clean sheet in ten matches caps a commanding display that cements their position at the top of Group D. Australia, meanwhile, find themselves in serious trouble and will need a result in their final group game to have any hope of advancing.