The United States face Australia at the 2026 World Cup. [Reuters]
The United States face Australia at the 2026 World Cup. [Reuters]

Fortune appears to be smiling on host nation the United States at the 2026 North America World Cup. The Americans have now forced own goals in two consecutive matches, riding a remarkable streak as they push for an early berth in the knockout round.

The United States men's national team led Australia 1-0 at halftime Saturday in their Group D second-round match at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

The deadlock was broken by an Australian mistake. In the 11th minute, Folarin Balogun pressed high and burst sharply down the flank before cutting a low, fast pass across the face of goal. Australian center back Cameron Burgess, attempting to clear the ball, deflected it into his own net.

The sequence was nearly identical to the team's first match. Against Paraguay on June 13, the United States also opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Paraguay midfielder Damian Bobadilla put the ball into his own net. That early own goal shattered Paraguay's defensive shape, and the Americans went on to win 4-1, with Balogun scoring twice and Giovanni Reyna adding another.

It is exceedingly rare in World Cup history for an own goal to serve as the opening strike of a match, let alone to shape the tournament's narrative.

The most tragic such moment came at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, when Colombia's Andres Escobar scored an own goal against the host nation. Colombia were eliminated early, and Escobar was shot and killed after returning home — a tragedy that shocked the world. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Carlos Gamarra headed a David Beckham free kick into his own net in England's match against Paraguay, sparking debate over how own goals should be judged. Most recently, at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Marcelo scored the tournament's very first goal — against Croatia in the opening match — as an own goal, an oddity that entered the record books.

A streak of own goals that once altered the course of World Cup history is now, at the 2026 edition, helping the host nation march toward an early place in the knockout round.

A win against Australia would move the United States a step closer to the top of Group D and put them on the verge of securing a round-of-32 berth ahead of schedule. Australia had also arrived in strong form, having beaten a formidable Turkey side 2-0 in their opening match, making the American opener Saturday a pivotal moment in the race for first place in the group.


shee@heraldcorp.com