2026 World Cup: Australia stun Turkiye 2-0 in counterattacking masterclass
Key takeaways
- Australia secure win in Group D courtesy of goals from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe.
- Goalkeeper Patrick Beach made eight saves for the Socceroos in their group opener on Saturday night as FIFA President Gianni Infantino looked on in Vancouver, Canada.
- Australia coach Tony Popovic pulled off a huge shock in his starting lineup, dropping experienced captain and goalkeeper Maty Ryan in favour of Beach, winning only his third cap.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Australia secure win in Group D courtesy of goals from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Nestory Irankunda celebrates scoring Australia's first goal against Turkiye at BC Place Vancouver [Stu Forster/Getty Images via AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and APPublished On 14 Jun 202614 Jun 2026Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe have scored as Australia have spoiled Turkiye’s return to the World Cup for the first time in 24 years with a 2-0 victory.
Goalkeeper Patrick Beach made eight saves for the Socceroos in their group opener on Saturday night as FIFA President Gianni Infantino looked on in Vancouver, Canada.