The United States secured a place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Australia 2-0 in Seattle on Friday, continuing an impressive start to the tournament for the co-hosts.
A first-half own goal by Australian defender Cameron Burgess in the 11th minute and a header from Alex Freeman just before the interval gave Mauricio Pochettino’s side a comfortable victory in their Group D encounter.
The result ensured the Americans advanced to the last 32 with a game to spare, joining fellow hosts Mexico, who booked their place in the knockout stage a day earlier.
Following concerns over their form before the tournament, the United States have quickly emerged as one of the standout teams after opening their campaign with a convincing 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
The Americans could also finish top of Group D if Turkey fail to beat Paraguay later on Friday.
It was a fantastic game again. We dominated against a very tough team,” USA coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the match.
Elsewhere, five-time champions Brazil are hoping to put behind them their disappointing start to the tournament when they face Haiti in their second Group B match.
Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco in their opening game, leaving coach Carlo Ancelotti’s men under pressure to secure all three points.
Defender Gabriel Magalhaes admitted the Selecao fell below expectations against the Moroccans but insisted the team had learned valuable lessons.
We know what we have to do. We know that we didn’t have a good first match, but we will be fully committed and do our best to win,” Gabriel said.
Ancelotti also revealed that changes would be made to the starting line-up, stressing that resilience matters more than perfection in a World Cup campaign.
Getting off to a good start is important in a World Cup, but the most important thing is that the team has to be resilient, the Italian manager said.
Scotland captain Andy Robertson has challenged his teammates to make history by reaching the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time.
The Scots began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Haiti and will face Morocco in Foxborough seeking another positive result.
We want to be the first team to do that for our country, Robertson said. t’s a nice feeling to try and achieve something special.
Morocco’s preparations for the clash with Scotland have been clouded by legal developments involving captain Achraf Hakimi.
A French appeals court confirmed on Friday that the Paris Saint-Germain defender will face trial over allegations of raping a woman in 2023.
Hakimi has consistently denied the accusation and welcomed the court’s decision, saying on social media that he had been waiting for the trial from the beginning.
At last, I’ll be able to speak, the defender wrote.
Despite the controversy, Hakimi was included in Morocco’s starting line-up against Scotland.
Off the pitch, Iran’s Football Federation announced plans to lodge a complaint with FIFA, claiming the team’s preparations have been disrupted by travel restrictions.
According to the federation, officials had requested permission for the squad to travel from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles two days before Sunday’s match against Belgium.
However, the request was reportedly denied, prompting complaints from Iranian authorities.
The dispute adds another layer of tension to a tournament already producing drama both on and off the field.
With the knockout phase approaching, the United States have become one of the first teams to secure their place, while Brazil, Scotland and several other nations face crucial fixtures that could shape their World Cup hopes.
