VANCOUVER – Australia provided one of the first surprises of the tournament in its opening match at the 2026 World Cup. The Socceroos defeated higher-rated Turkey 2-0 in a Group D match to make an excellent start to their hunt for a place in the knockout phase.
Turkey, which is participating in a world championship for the first time since 2002, started the match at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver as favorites. The Turks dominated large parts of the match and had an upper hand in possession, but were unable to break through the well-organized Australian defense.
Australia struck in the 27th minute through 20-year-old forward Nestory Irankunda. After a quick break, he showed his speed and technique and controlled the ball behind the Turkish goalkeeper. The goal gave the Australians confidence as Turkey continued to press on without success despite a series of chances.
After the break, Turkey increased the pressure further. Players like Arda Güler and Hakan Çalhanoğlu tried to make a difference, but were repeatedly met by an excellent goalkeeping Patrick Beach. The young goalkeeper became one of the stars of the match with several important saves.
The decision came in the 75th minute. Midfielder Connor Metcalfe finished off a quick counter with a powerful shot to make it 2-0. This meant that Turkey’s resistance was finally broken.
Australian national coach Tony Popovic praised his team’s discipline and fighting spirit afterwards. His Turkish colleague Vincenzo Montella spoke of a disappointing evening, but emphasized that his team still has plenty of chances to recover in the remaining group matches.
The victory puts Australia in an excellent position in Group D. Earlier, host country the United States won 4-1 against Paraguay, putting the Americans at the top of the group for the time being. Australia follows in second place, while Turkey is under immediate pressure ahead of the next group match against Paraguay.
Australia’s tactical discipline was particularly praised among supporters and analysts. On social media and football forums, many fans pointed out that although Turkey had more ball possession, they could hardly find an answer to the compact Australian defense and the quick transition game.
