USA vs Australia prediction 19.06.2026 | World Cup

The USA haven't had many successes at the World Cup in recent years. Their best appearance in the 21st century was in 2002, when the USA reached the quarterfinals. This year, they trashed Paraguay 4-1 in the opening round, and it seems that Mauricio Pochettino's team is ready for a deep run. In the first match, the USA completely dominated, and their victory was never in question.

Before the tournament started, there were some doubts about the USA's form. They came into the competition with three defeats in their last four matches, but after thrashing Paraguay, the team surely eagerly awaits the upcoming tie with Australia.

USA's head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, was thrilled after the outstanding performance against Paraguay. He said, "We are so happy, but this is only the start. It's still two games to play. We need to enjoy this start to the tournament, but know that we need to keep going and try to improve and try to do better in the next game, because all the games are very competitive."

USA's star player, Christian Pulisic, had to come out at halftime of the previous game due to injury. After the match, he said he was kicked in the calf. However, Pulisic and Pochettino don't seem worried about the players' availability for the upcoming clash.

Australia have become regular at the World Cup. However, they never advanced past the 1/8 finals and hope to change that in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Socceroos are on the right track with an exceptional 2-0 victory in the first round against Turkey. The opponents had 72% ball possession and 21 shots on the goal more than Australia, but Tony Popovic's team's excellent efficiency was enough for all three points.

Australia are usually a very defensive team, and that will not change in the next game either. The Socceroos conceded only two goals in their last three matches, and they hope their well-organized defense will be good enough again on Friday in Seattle.

Australia's head coach, Tony Popovic, was proud of his players after a big victory in the opening round, but he quickly shifted focus to the next game. Popovic commented, "You can't underestimate what this will do for their confidence and belief. Emotionally, it will take a lot out of the players in this game, so we've got to get back and recover well and focus on the US."

The Socceroos will have all players available for Friday.