The USA got off to a flying start at the 2026 World Cup.
Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have arguably been the most impressive team at the tournament so far after a 4-1 win against Paraguay in the opening game.
Christian Pulisic was on fire in the USMNT’s opener, while Folarin Balogun grabbed two goals to put himself among the Golden Boot contenders.
Up next for the US is Australia, and the Socceroos showed against Turkiye that they are also a decent team.
Speaking on the Soccer Unfiltered Podcast, Landon Donovan has been discussing the United States’ World Cup hopes, and he shared his verdict on how this game will go.
Landon Donovan’s USA vs Australia prediction
Donovan gave his prediction for the USA’s next game.
The LA Galaxy legend said he’s actually nervous for this match after watching Australia beat Turkiye, but he does expect the USA to win.
“I am a little nervous now after the Aussies’ dispatched Turkiye, but I still believe in our group. This is not with my heart, this is with my head. I think we are the better team.
“I do still think we win. There will be goals in this game. This US group has proven that they still can’t keep a clean sheet.
“I think Australia with the way they counter how they are on set pieces, they will score, but I think we’re going to score a couple of goals. I think we’re going to have so much of the ball, so many chances, we have players in really, really good form. So I do think both teams score, and I think we score a few goals in this game.”
Should the USA take a chance and start Christian Pulisic against Australia?
Captain Tyler Adams has said he will be ready in time…
USA’s record vs Australia
The USA and Australia aren’t historic footballing nations, and, as you can imagine, due to distance, they’ve not played one another very often either.
However, these two teams have met four times in their history, and, as luck would have it, the USA’s record against Australia is good.
| Date | Match | Result | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun 1992 | USA v Australia | Loss | 0-1 | International Friendly |
| 06 Nov 1998 | USA v Australia | Draw | 0-0 | International Friendly |
| 05 Jun 2010 | USA v Australia | Win | 3-1 | International Friendly |
| 14 Oct 2025 | USA v Australia | Win | 2-1 | International Friendly |
The US haven’t lost to Australia since 1998, and they have a recent win over Australia in 2025 too.
Donovan fancies the US’s chances of winning this game, and, when you look at the form, it’s easy to see why.
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