USMNT faces Australia to clinch Group D at 2026 World
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- The USMNT routed Paraguay 4-1 on June 12 at SoFi Stadium — their most goals ever in a World Cup match, in front of 70,492 fans, the largest USMNT World Cup crowd since 1994
- Folarin Balogun scored twice in the first half against Paraguay, becoming the first American with two goals in a single World Cup match since 1930
- The June 19 match vs. Australia would clinch first place in Group D if the USMNT wins and Turkiye fails to beat Paraguay; a win alone secures advancement to the knockout stage regardless
- Christian Pulisic remains training individually ahead of Friday, with Pochettino saying USMNT medical will evaluate his status before the match
- Australia beat Turkiye 2-0 on June 13 and enters Friday also well-positioned to advance, with Friday's Group D winner earning a western bracket path through Levi's Stadium, SoFi, and AT&T
- Mauricio Pochettino took over in October 2024 after the Copa America struggles, giving him 21 months to prepare the U.S. for hosting the first World Cup on American soil in over three decades
- The expanded 48-team format sends first-, second-, and eight of 12 third-place finishers through, meaning even a USMNT third-place finish in Group D is still possible, though unlikely
Why it matters: Finishing first keeps the USMNT in the western bracket — Levi's Stadium, SoFi, and AT&T through the semifinals — while a slip to second sends them to Dallas on July 3 against the Group G runner-up, a pool that includes Iran, Belgium, and Egypt. Pulisic's unresolved fitness, still being evaluated after individual training, could determine whether the U.S. capitalizes on the momentum from a 70,492-person opener in the most-watched USMNT home match in 32 years.
