In the first upset of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Australia defeated Türkiye 2-0 in a midnight matchup and sent an early message to the rest of Group D.
Before the match, confidence was high in the Turkish camp. ESPN quoted Türkiye captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu saying, “I think that we dominate tomorrow, the game, because we have more qualities and a more talented team, so we will see tomorrow what happens.” The result proved otherwise.
Türkiye entered the match as heavy favorites, with many expecting them to challenge the United States for the top spot in Group D. Instead, Australia looked like the more organized and threatening side for most of the match.
As the match progressed, it became clear that Türkiye did not have an offensive plan. The Turks controlled possession for stretches but struggled to turn that possession into quality chances. They had two good free kicks and three shots from inside the box, all of which were handled comfortably by 22-year-old goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who was making his first start for the Socceroos.
Türkiye attempted to attack through the middle of the field, but Australia’s defensive setup took away their biggest threat. Arda Güler, the creative centerpiece of the Turkish attack, was double-teamed for most of the match. With Güler unable to find space, Türkiye found itself moving the ball from side to side without creating meaningful opportunities in front of goal.
Australia’s tactic was a kickball style of play: kick the ball as far forward as possible and hope that its strikers reached it first. This plan proved to be successful in the 27th minute, when midfielder Nestory Irankunda streaked into the box, wove between three defenders and calmly passed the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal.
At the start of the second half, Türkiye had a quick chance to tie and looked as if they had finally found a second gear, but soon found themselves facing the same problems as in the first half.
The remainder of the half followed a similar pattern. Türkiye controlled possession but struggled to create chances, while Australia remained disciplined and waited for opportunities to counterattack.
One of those opportunities arrived in the 75th minute as Connor Metcalfe collected the ball right outside the box and unleashed a powerful low-driven shot that went straight into the bottom right corner, doubling Australia’s lead and effectively putting the match out of reach.
Türkiye went into the tournament as the team that would be challenging the United States for the top spot in Group D. Based on their performance today, they will need some work to turn things around as now Australia looks like they could finish the group in second depending on how they perform against the USA and Paraguay.
Australia proved that it is a team to watch as, in my opinion, they outplayed Türkiye. They were confident on the ball, and were able to shut down Arda Güler, which was perhaps the most important factor as he is the true creative centerpiece for the Turkish side.
As always, stay tuned to Futbolhijo.com for in-depth coverage of the biggest World Cup yet. Check back for my next article, where I will be covering matches and news that occur throughout the tournament. You can also read my previous recap of last week’s matches.
Cover Photo: Australia National Team Badge. Vectored by FOX 52. Wikipedia. Creative commons.
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