USA and Australia Advance in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Kathmandu. As the final matches of Group D in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers concluded, the USA advanced to the knockout stage as group winners, while Australia secured a spot in the last 32 as runner-up. Turkey has been eliminated from the competition, while Paraguay retains the possibility of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams.

In a match held at the Los Angeles Stadium, Turkey achieved a thrilling 3-2 victory against the USA. Aston Trusty scored in the third minute to give the USA the lead. However, Arda Guler equalized in the tenth minute.

Baris Yilmaz scored in the 31st minute to put Turkey ahead 2-1. In the second half, Sebastian Berhalter equalized at 2-2 in the 49th minute. As the match was heading towards a draw, Can Ayhan scored the decisive goal in the eighth minute of injury time (90+8) to give Turkey a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Meanwhile, in another match held in San Francisco, Australia and Paraguay played to a goalless draw. This result was sufficient for Australia, and they secured their place in the knockout stage by finishing second in the group.

Although Paraguay needed a win for second place, the draw has strengthened their chances of reaching the last 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.