Turkey edge USA in thriller as Australia seal World Cup last-32 spot

Turkey snatched a dramatic 3-2 win over a second-string USA side in the final minute of an end-to-end Group D clash at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, while Australia’s nerve-shredding 0-0 draw with Paraguay was enough to book their place in the World Cup knockout phase for the third time in their history. The Socceroos’ result in the San Francisco Bay Area stadium secured second place in the group, behind co-hosts USA, sparking delirious celebrations among 12,000 or more fans in yellow. Tony Popovic’s much-changed side controlled large parts of the match, but with both teams knowing a draw would suffice, long stretches passed without impetus. Jordy Bos, playing on the right of defence, and Lucas Herrington, a young defender on his World Cup debut, were the standout performers as Australia delivered a historic achievement on a cool night in Santa Clara. The result ended any jeopardy after the Socceroos’ earlier struggles against the USA had let slip a golden runway into the knockout stages. Australia can now rest for a week before their last-32 match in Dallas in eight days, facing the second-placed team from Group G – likely Belgium – after they remain in Oakland until Wednesday. Popovic’s reputation as a gambler grew with six changes to the starting XI, following two shocks in the previous line-up. Meanwhile, attention turns to Boston Stadium, where a mouth-watering showdown between Norway and France awaits. The winners will top Group I, but both sides have rested key players: Erling Haaland and William Saliba are absent from the starting lineups, injecting uncertainty into a fixture that promises to decide the group’s hierarchy. With the knockout phase already taking shape, Tuesday’s matches will set the stage for the next round.