Early on June 13, Australia produced a stunning 2-0 victory over Turkey in their Group D opener at the 2026 World Cup held in Vancouver, Canada. The win was made all the more remarkable by goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who made eight saves.
Coach Tony Popovic raised eyebrows by dropping veteran captain Maty Ryan for Patrick Beach, who was making only his third appearance. Vice-captain Jackson Irvine also made way for 21-year-old midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler. Ten of Australia's starting lineup were World Cup debutants.
The bold decisions paid off quickly. Despite Turkey dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Beach repeatedly denied them. In the 27th minute, Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler forced a fine save from Beach, but moments later Australia took the lead.
The opening goal came from a long pass by Okon-Engstler that split the Turkish defense, allowing Nestory Irankunda to race through and score. Irankunda, who became Australia's youngest World Cup goalscorer, celebrated by punching the corner flag — a trademark move of legend Tim Cahill.
Turkey thought they had equalized three minutes later when Abdulkerim Bardakci unleashed a thunderous drive from outside the box, but Beach got a fingertip to push it onto the post. In the second half, Beach again denied Guler from a free kick in the 57th minute.
Australia sealed the win in the 75th minute when Connor Metcalfe collected the ball in midfield, advanced, and struck from 23 meters to make it 2-0. "Unbelievable. It's a dream come true. We won," Irankunda said afterward.
This is Australia's sixth consecutive World Cup appearance and seventh overall. At Qatar 2022, they lost their opener to France but beat Tunisia and Denmark to reach the round of 16. For Turkey, this is only their third World Cup, the last being 2002 when they finished third.
In Group D, the United States beat Paraguay 4-1 earlier. Australia, with three points, will face the U.S. in their next match.
