Australia shock Türkiye 2-0, move level with United States in Group D

Australia did more than beat Türkiye in Vancouver. It turned a first-ever World Cup meeting into an opening statement for Group D, winning 2-0 at BC Place and moving level on three points with the United States. The result landed as a jolt in a group that also includes Paraguay, and it immediately sharpened the race for first place after the Americans had already beaten Paraguay 3-0.

At BC Place on June 13, 2026, the match kicked off at 21:00 in Vancouver, 14:00 in Canberra and 07:00 on June 14 in Ankara. Australia arrived with Tony Popović on the touchline and a youthful core that included Nestory Irankunda, Connor Metcalfe and goalkeeper Patrick Beach, while Türkiye leaned on captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Vincenzo Montella and 21-year-old Arda Güler. The scale of the occasion was clear from the start: Türkiye had returned to the World Cup finals after a 24-year absence, and Australia needed a result to stay in step with the group favorites.

The decisive swing came in the 27th minute, when Irankunda delivered the breakthrough and changed the tempo of the match. Türkiye had begun with enough control to keep Australia honest, but the goal forced Montella’s side to chase a game that had been carefully balanced. Australia, which had not won a World Cup opener since 2006, used the lead to settle into a more disciplined shape and let Türkiye carry the burden of possession.

Beach then gave Australia a debut to remember. FIFA highlighted the goalkeeper’s performance as one of the standout individual stories of the match, and his composure mattered as Türkiye searched for an equalizer. Australia did not merely sit back; it protected the middle, limited clean looks for Türkiye’s attack and waited for the opening that would end the contest.

That opening arrived in the 75th minute, when Metcalfe scored the second goal and put the result beyond doubt. The finish completed a rare opening-night performance for Australia, one that underscored the promise of Popović’s squad and the influence of its young players. For Türkiye, the loss was a hard reset after a long-awaited return to the tournament. For Australia, it was a statement that the path through Group D runs through its own ambition as much as through the United States and Paraguay.