Author: Bernard Okumu

Nestory Irankunda became Australia’s youngest World Cup goalscorer as a youthful Socceroos upset Turkey 2-0.

The Watford forward scored a fine first-half goal before Connor Metcalfe got the second to give Tony Popovic’s side the perfect start to their Group D campaign in Vancouver.

Irankunda, at 20 years and 125 days, beat the record of Brett Holman, who scored against Ghana in 2010 when he was aged 26 and 84 days.

Former Bayern Munich player Irankunda was one of 10 World Cup debutants for Popovic’s team in the youngest side in the tournament since France against Australia in 2018.

Irankunda’s finish was superb, a brilliant touch inside after collecting a pass from Paul Okon-Engstler giving him space to find the low strike.

Turkey, appearing in the World Cup for the first time since 2002, were dominant for large parts but could not find an equaliser at BC Place.

Defender Abdulkerim Bardakci tried a speculative effort from distance and it took a fine save from Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach to tip it on to a post.

Beach, a surprise starter ahead of Mat Ryan as he made his first competitive international, also denied Arda Guler from a free-kick and a close-range effort from Zeki Celik in the second half.

Midfielder Metcalfe pounced on some sloppy play from Turkey before firing a low strike into the bottom corner.

Australia will play hosts USA in Seattle on Friday  while Turkey take on Paraguay in San Francisco on Saturday.

The United States kicks off its 2026 World Cup campaign on home soil tonight, hosting Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in a Group D opener that marks the first World Cup meeting between the two nations since 1930.

For Mauricio Pochettino’s side, the timing could hardly be more pressure-laden. The Americans have endured a difficult 2026 so far, losing three of their four matches this year to Germany, Portugal, and Belgium, with their lone victory coming 3-2 against Senegal just last week.

A strong showing in front of a home crowd would go a long way toward settling nerves and building momentum heading into the rest of the group stage.

Paraguay, meanwhile, arrives in Los Angeles with a story of revival. This marks their return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, when they famously reached the quarterfinals, still their best result in tournament history.

Coach Gustavo Alfaro took over after his predecessor managed only one win in six qualifying matches, and has since restored the side’s traditional style of play. La Albirroja have gone unbeaten in recent outings, with impressive results against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, though their qualifying campaign also saw them concede 14 goals across 18 matches, hinting at defensive vulnerabilities that the hosts could look to exploit.

The stakes attached to tonight’s result extend well beyond the three points on offer. History has not been kind to American sides that stumble out of the blocks — across the last ten World Cups featuring a group stage, the US has advanced every time it won or drew its opener, and been eliminated every time it lost.

Tactically, much will depend on how the US breaks down a side expected to sit deep and defend in numbers. Paraguay are likely to absorb pressure and look to frustrate their hosts, meaning the decisive moment may well come down to a flash of individual brilliance from Christian Pulisic or Folarin Balogun in the final third.

With a nation watching and a daunting historical trend looming, the pressure is firmly on the USMNT to deliver from the opening whistle.

South Africa’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup turned into a nightmare, as the team suffered a chaotic 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico at a packed Estadio Azteca, finishing the game with just nine players on the pitch.

Things went wrong almost immediately. Just nine minutes in, a costly error from midfielder Yaya Sithole allowed Julian Quinones to strike home and give Mexico an early lead. South Africa never recovered from the setback, and Raul Jimenez later doubled Mexico’s advantage to seal the win.

The match descended into further chaos in the second half. Sithole was shown a straight red card for bringing down Bryan Gutierrez, who was through on goal. Moments later, Themba Zwane was also sent off following a VAR review, leaving South Africa with just nine men. Remarkably, Mexico defender Cesar Montes was also dismissed after a VAR check for stopping a South African counterattack.

The three red cards marked the first time a World Cup match had seen three dismissals since Portugal faced the Netherlands in 2006, and the most in tournament history. Both Sithole and Zwane will now be suspended for South Africa’s next match, alongside Montes for Mexico.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, the result reflects a tough reality for Bafana Bafana, who offered little in attack throughout the contest.

With the loss, South Africa now face a daunting task against Czechia in Atlanta on June 18, a match they must navigate without two key players due to suspension. It’s a brutal way to begin what was already shaping up to be a challenging World Cup campaign for the Bafana Bafana.

South Korea’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign got off with a thrilling comeback win, as goals from Hwang In-beom and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu turned around a 2-1 victory over Czech Republic in their Group A opener at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico.

The first half was largely uneventful, with both sides struggling to create clear chances. The flat performance drew jeers from supporters as the teams left the field at halftime.

Czech Republic broke through early in the second half. Captain Ladislav Krejci headed home a long throw from Vladimir Coufal in the 59th minute to put his side ahead.

South Korea responded quickly. Eight minutes later, Hwang In-beom levelled the score, cutting inside from a pass by Lee Kang-in before placing a delicate finish just inside the post, after first faking a shot to skip past two Czech defenders.

The Czechs briefly thought they had retaken the lead through a Tomas Soucek header, but the goal was ruled out for offside — a decision that would prove costly.

With ten minutes left, South Korea completed the turnaround. Hwang played a first-time ball over the top and squared a low cross for Oh Hyeon-gyu, who slid in at the near post to net the winner.

Czech Republic pushed for an equalizer late on, but South Korea held firm. Led by Son Heung-min, the Koreans dominated possession and shots throughout, despite being ranked below their opponents.

The win held special meaning for Oh Hyeon-gyu, who revealed he had been battling a fever of 38 degrees before kickoff and credited the medical staff for getting him fit enough to play.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo praised his team’s fighting spirit after falling behind, and the result moved South Korea level on points with hosts Mexico at the top of Group A, who earlier beat a nine-man South Africa 2-0 at the Estadio Azteca.