The United States Men’s National Team will compete against Australia in the World Cup in Seattle as FIFA finalizes teams and groups for the global tournament.
The matchup emerged as one of several key developments in a televised draw that soccer fans anxiously watched, waiting to learn whether favorite teams would play in Seattle or neighboring Vancouver.
The two cities will host a combined 13 matches in the 2026 World Cup, including group and knockout stages. Six dates have already been announced for Lumen Field, which will be renamed Seattle Stadium as part of the tournament festivities.
The draw was based on World soccer rankings and places teams in multiple four-team groups, establishing their opponents for early competition rounds.
The United States was placed in a group with Paraguay, Australia, and a still-to-be-determined qualifying team. The format requires each team to play three group stage matches before advancing to knockout rounds.
Early matches in the two cities will be divided among three groups designated as B, D, and G. This distribution ensures both Seattle and Vancouver host diverse international matchups throughout the tournament.
As ping pong balls were opened during the draw ceremony, the groups became clear through the selection process.
Canada will be joined in Group B by Qatar, Switzerland, and one of the yet-to-qualify countries: Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, or Northern Ireland. This group promises compelling matches given the diverse playing styles and tactical approaches.
The USA, Paraguay, and Australia will play against Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey, or Romania in Group D. The fourth team will be determined through qualifying matches scheduled before the tournament begins.
Group G will include Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. This group brings together teams from four different continents, showcasing the tournament’s global nature.
Seattle was already guaranteed games involving teams from Groups B, D, and G, along with knockout round matches in the Round of 32 and Round of 16. This ensures the city hosts high-stakes games throughout the tournament.
U.S. Soccer confirmed the USA-Australia match in Seattle shortly after the announcement, with remaining kickoff times and opponents to be revealed Saturday morning.
The news provided a pleasant surprise for longtime Seattle business owner Bradley Howe, who operates the Kangaroo and Kiwi pub in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.
“Great news, an early Christmas present,” Howe joked. He has owned the establishment for 25 years, catering to southern hemisphere sports fans who want to watch cricket, rugby, or what fans call “footy.”
Australia is scheduled to play not only in Seattle but also in Vancouver the previous week. The proximity creates logistical advantages for the Australian national team during the competition.
This scheduling opens the possibility that Seattle could serve as a base camp for the Australian national team during the tournament. New Zealand could potentially establish a similar arrangement given Group G matches scheduled for the city.
The Seattle Organizing Committee has offered the Sounders FC training facility in Renton as a potential host site for teams, although nothing has been finalized. The facility includes multiple practice fields and support infrastructure suitable for World Cup preparation.
“My favorite saying is you make your own luck and I think we stumbled into a bit of luck here,” said Howe, who has always hosted World Cup viewing parties but anticipates this tournament will reach unprecedented scale.
“I don’t know how we’re going to keep all the beer cold, might have to rent a truck and it’ll be a good problem to have chaos is best,” he said, already planning for capacity crowds during Australia matches.
Seattle World Cup Organizing Committee President Peter Tomozawa said he was thrilled with the draw results. The committee plans to host a celebration of nations in January to honor teams officially coming to Seattle.
FIFA is expected to announce the full schedule for Seattle, Vancouver, and the rest of the tournament Saturday morning. The schedule will provide specific dates, kickoff times, and matchups for all group stage and knockout round games.
The 2026 World Cup represents the first tournament hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The expanded 48-team format includes 16 groups of three teams each, increasing the total number of matches compared to previous tournaments.
Lumen Field’s transformation to Seattle Stadium reflects FIFA’s policy requiring neutral stadium names during World Cup competition. The temporary renaming removes corporate sponsorship associations to maintain tournament branding consistency.
