2026 World Cup: Australia stun Türkiye in Group D opener

Australia produced one of the early surprises of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating Türkiye 2-0 in their opening Group D match at BC Place in Vancouver.

The Socceroos combined disciplined defending with clinical finishing to secure all three points despite spending much of the match under pressure from a Turkish side that dominated possession and created numerous chances.

Türkiye started brightly and nearly took an early lead through Arda Güler, who fired over the crossbar after combining well with captain Orkun Kökçü.

Ferdi Kadıoğlu also missed the target before Güler forced goalkeeper Patrick Beach into a comfortable save with a first-time volley.

Australia had offered little going forward but struck against the run of play in the 29th minute.

Paul Okon-Engstler launched a long ball forward and Nestory Irankunda showed pace and skill to beat the Turkish defence before drilling a low finish past Uğurcan Çakır.

The goal made Irankunda the youngest World Cup goalscorer in Socceroos history.

Türkiye pushed for an equaliser before the break, but Beach remained alert while Çakır prevented Irankunda from adding a second goal.

Coach Vincenzo Montella introduced Juventus winger Kenan Yıldız at half-time as Türkiye searched for a way back into the contest.

The pressure intensified after the restart. İsmail Yüksek came close when a deflected effort wrong-footed Beach but drifted past the post.

At the other end, Harry Souttar was denied by Çakır after meeting a corner unmarked.

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Australia continued to absorb wave after wave of Turkish attacks. Beach produced another important save to deny Zeki Çelik from a tight angle before the Socceroos delivered the decisive blow.

Connor Metcalfe doubled Australia’s lead in the 75th minute, advancing from midfield before driving a powerful low shot into the bottom corner from outside the penalty area.

Türkiye continued to attack but found Beach in inspired form. The goalkeeper produced a standout stop to hold Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s close-range volley and finished the match with eight saves.

The result ended Australia’s run of four consecutive defeats in World Cup openers and handed Tony Popovic’s side a major boost in the race for qualification from Group D.

Australia will face co-hosts the United States in Seattle in their next match, while Türkiye will attempt to recover against Paraguay.

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