USMNT vs. Australia—World Cup: Live Score and Match Stats

The 29th game of the 2026 World Cup saw the United States triumph over Australia.

Toby Cudworth, Amanda Langell|

The USMNT was the second side to punch its ticket to the round of 32. | Kohjiro Kinno/Sports Illustrated

The United States and Australia first battled each other in an international friendly in 1992, in a game the latter won by the odd goal. Some 34 years later, there’s so much more on the line when the do come together at the 2026 World Cup.

Mauricio Pochettino’s Stars and Stripes got its tournament off to a phenomenal start, comprehensively dispatching Paraguay 4–1 in front of a mesmerized SoFi Stadium. Striker Folarin Balogun was the two-goal hero—the second was an absolute peach—but there was so many standout performances from a game that will live long in the memory.

But laurels can’t be rested on against Australia. Deemed to be the underdog against Türkiye, Tony Popovic led his team to a deserved 2–0 win, setting up a potentially decisive showdown with the USMNT at Lumen Field in Seattle. Whoever wins could end up topping Group D with a game to spare.

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Published 3 hours ago | Modified 3 hours ago

Toby Cudworth

Toby Cudworth is Lead Editor for SI FC. A Premier League, EFL and UEFA accredited journalist, Cudworth is a graduate of the University of Gloucestershire, where he studied Broadcast Journalism. He previously worked for 90min as a writer, academy manager, editor and eventually content lead, before joining Sports Illustrated in May 2025. A lifelong supporter of West Ham United, he still can’t quite believe they won a European trophy and feels nature is healing now that results have slipped back into the yo-yo patterns of the last 30 years.

Amanda Langell

Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer and editor. Born and raised in New York City, her first loves were the Yankees, the Rangers and Broadway before Real Madrid took over her life. Had it not been for her brother’s obsession with Cristiano Ronaldo, she would have never lived through so many magical Champions League nights 3,600 miles away from the Bernabéu. When she’s not consumed by Spanish and European soccer, she’s traveling, reading or losing her voice at a concert.

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