The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) is off to a strong start at the 2026 World Cup, with a 4-1 win over Paraguay. Now, they face Australia in their second group match, seeking to advance out of Group D.

Clinching Scenarios

The USMNT can clinch Group D with a win over Australia and some help from other teams. They need to defeat Australia on Friday, and then hope that Türkiye loses or ties against Paraguay.

Australia also has a chance to clinch the group with a win over the USMNT and a Paraguay loss or tie. Paraguay faces elimination if they lose to Türkiye and Australia wins or ties against the USMNT.

Tiebreakers may come into play, with the first step being the greatest number of points in group matches between tied teams. If that cannot determine a tiebreaker, the teams will be ranked according to goal difference, goals scored, and team conduct score.

The USMNT and Australia enter Friday’s match with three points each. A win for either team would put them in a strong position to advance, but the outcome of the other match in the group will also be crucial.

Original reporting: All Sports Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.