Australia scored two unanswered goals to upset Turkey and secure its first three points in the 2026 World Cup.
In front of a packed stadium in Vancouver, with a great atmosphere from both sets of fans, the stage was set for a tight match where the Turks were slight favorites, thanks to players like Arda Güler, the Real Madrid star.
But the Australian Kangaroos had other ideas; a play down the left side of the Australian attack led to Nestory Irankunda opening the scoring in the 27th minute, catching the Turks by surprise.
Turkey went on the attack but failed to break through the Oceania side’s defense, which held firm until the end of the first half.
In the second half, the tone of the match remained the same, until a shot from outside the box by Connor Metcalfe in the 75th minute beat the Turkish goalkeeper’s dive to seal the Australian victory.
Australia will now face host nation the United States in its second group match on June 19 in Seattle at 12:00 p.m., while in a do-or-die matchup, Turkey will take on Paraguay on the same Friday, the 19th, but at 8:00 p.m. in San José.
