Australia's second match at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ sees them cross paths with co-hosts the United States in Seattle on Saturday, 20 June at 5:00am AEST.
We examine the Stars and Stripes ahead of the highly-anticipated encounter at Seattle Stadium. It will also be the second time where Australia will take on a FIFA World Cup host nation after West Germany in 1974.
Current FIFA Ranking: 16
FIFA World Cup Finals
FIFA World Cup Appearances: 12 (1930, 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022, 2026)
The US qualified for every tournament between 1990 and 2014, advancing to the knockout stages on four occasions in 1994, 2002, 2010 and 2014. For the first time since 1986 they failed to make the 2018 FIFA World Cup before returning in 2022 where they achieved a last 16 finish.
Best Finish: 1930 - Third Place
The United States' best finish at the Finals was in the inaugural FIFA World Cup. However, no third place match occurred and were awarded the result due to a superior goal difference to the loser of the other semi-final in the former Yugoslavia.
In more recent times, the Yanks reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 tournament, defeating Mexico in the round of 16 2-0 before succumbing to eventual finalists Germany 1-0.
Most Games: Landon Donovan – 12
USMNT legend Landon Donovan holds the record for the most appearances at the FIFA World Cup Finals with 12, featuring across three editions: 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Most Goals: Landon Donovan – 5
Donovan is also the leading the goal scorer with five FIFA World Cup goals. He found the net on two occasions at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring against Poland and Mexico and then three times during the 2010 iteration against Slovenia, Algeria and Ghana.
FIFA World Cup 2026™ Qualification Record
Automatically qualified as co-hosts.
Key players
With the rise in popularity in football in the United States, coupled with the expansion and investment in Major League Soccer there is a hotbed of young talent emerging and also resulted in many American footballers securing moves to Europe.
Christian Pulisic is the main protagonist for the Stars and Stripes and fittingly dubbed 'Captain America'. The Milan forward has scored an impressive 32 goals in 84 matches for his country and poses the biggest attacking threat. And as the nickname suggests he has also captained his country, doing so at the age of 20 - becoming the youngest ever American to be bestowed the honour in November 2018 against Italy.
The 27-year-old, formerly of Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, can confidently operate on either wing and can even drift more centrally as an attacking midfielder or second striker at times, making him extremely versatile. He combines pace and trickery when running at opposition defenders and is capable with both feet.
Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie has enjoyed career-high nine goals in all competitions for the Biaconeri this season. The 27-year-old is renowned for his adaptability, proficient in playing several different positions in midfield and has built a reputation for recovering possession for his team, boasting a tireless work-rate. McKennie has 12 goals in 64 caps for the United States.
Timothy Weah (Olympique Marseille), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), and Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), are some of the other noticeable names on the United States roster, but Folarin Balogun is arguably the most important given he is their talisman. The striker has enjoyed a productive campaign in Ligue 1 with AS Monaco. Previously on the books of Arsenal and Reims, Balogun utilises is blessed with great technique - adept with both feet and is a quick number nine.
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Head Coach
Mauricio Pochettino has been at the helm since September 2024. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss generally employs a 4-2-3-1 formation which involves an attacking brand of football and an aggressive high-press to suffocate the opposition. Pochettino also likes to get his full-backs extremely high and cause overloads on the pitch in the hope of generating lots of opportunities for his attacking players.
Previous meeting
The last time Australia and the United States met was in Denver in an October 2025 friendly where the Aussies fell 2-1 after taking the lead through Jordy Bos.
Prior to that both teams faced off in a 2010 friendly match in South Africa as the last hit-out before the FIFA World Cup. USMNT prevailed 3-1 that day in Roodepoort with Tim Cahill on target for the Aussies.
FIFA World Cup Canada, Mexico, United States 2026™ - Australia's Group D Matches
Australia v Türkiye
Date: Saturday, 13 June
Venue: BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Kick-off: 9:00pm local / 2:00pm AEST (Sunday, 14 June)
Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand
USA v Australia
Date: Friday, 19 June
Venue: Seattle Stadium, Seattle, USA
Kick-off: 12:00pm local / 5:00am AEST (Saturday, 20 June)
Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand
Paraguay v Australia
Date: Thursday, 25 June
Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
Kick-off: 7:00pm local / 12:00pm AEST (Friday, 26 June)
Broadcast: SBS and SBS On Demand