{"id":702589,"date":"2026-06-14T00:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/702589\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T00:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:01:11","slug":"for-usmnt-fans-these-non-u-s-world-cup-matches-have-big-implications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/702589\/","title":{"rendered":"For USMNT fans, these non-U.S. World Cup matches have big implications"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever since the World Cup draw was conducted last December, the dates and times of the United States\u2019 three Group D games have been etched on the calendars of national team fans.<\/p>\n

However, dotted across the schedule over the remainder of the group stage are a selection of games that no attentive USMNT fan should miss, given the impact they could have on the fate of Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s team.<\/p>\n

From group rivals to potential knockout stage opponent previews, several fixtures already stand out as fitting into the must-see category beyond the high-profile games that all neutrals will want to catch.<\/p>\n

Starting with a Saturday clash that will do much to influence how much pressure is placed on the USMNT in Group D, here is The Athletic\u2019s watchlist of what matters to the Americans, even when they\u2019ve got their feet up in front of the team hotel TV screens.<\/p>\n

(For up-to-the-second probabilities and scenarios for the USMNT and all World Cup participants, check out The Athletic\u2019s World Cup tracker<\/a>)<\/p>\n

1. Australia vs. TurkeyVancouver; Saturday, June 13, 12 a.m. ET<\/p>\n

If there is one non-U.S. group-stage match that deserves top billing, it\u2019s this late night matchup on Canada\u2019s West Coast. Those on the east will be burning the midnight oil, but it\u2019ll be worthwhile.<\/p>\n

Not only could it decide who emerges as the biggest challenger to the U.S., but it also features one of the tournament\u2019s most exciting young stars in Turkey\u2019s Arda G\u00fcler. The Real Madrid midfielder is expected to be the creative heartbeat of a Turkish side many view as a dark horse.<\/p>\n

Australia, meanwhile, has become one of the most consistent World Cup nations outside football\u2019s traditional powers. The Socceroos have reached six consecutive tournaments and arrive looking to build on their round-of-16 appearance in Qatar, when they pushed eventual champion Argentina to the end.<\/p>\n

With both teams eyeing a place in the knockout rounds, this opener is important and \u2014 for U.S. fans \u2014 this is a crucial game to watch.<\/p>\n

The USMNT must still play both teams, and this clash will provide valuable input about what they are coming up against.<\/p>\n

2. Turkey vs. ParaguaySan Francisco Bay Area; Friday, June 19, 11 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

If Australia vs. Turkey sets the tone for Group D, this match could define it.<\/p>\n

Coming hours after the USMNT\u2019s second game, Paraguay will be on a mission to rescue its campaign following a 4-1 defeat to the U.S. on Friday<\/a>, while the picture regarding the two automatic qualifiers (who could potentially be joined by a third-place team) will surely start coming into focus.<\/p>\n

Win, lose or draw earlier in the day, the USMNT will surely be keeping a close eye on this one.<\/p>\n

3. Paraguay vs. AustraliaSan Francisco Bay Area; Thursday, June 25, 10 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

Final matchdays always produce drama, and this one has the potential to deliver plenty.<\/p>\n

The dream scenario for the USMNT is that by then it will have control of the group\u2019s top spot. If not, this game that takes place at the same time as the Americans\u2019 meeting with Turkey, would become mandatory \u201csecond screen\u201d viewing and have a direct influence on what comes next for the cohosts.<\/p>\n

With a pair of feisty teams potentially fighting for their tournament future, don\u2019t be surprised if this ends up being an entertaining one.<\/p>\n

\"Jesse<\/p>\n

\n Jesse Marsch gives a team talk in Canada\u2019s World Cup opener (Alex Pantling \/ FIFA \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

4. Switzerland vs. CanadaVancouver; Wednesday, June 24, 3 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

If the U.S. wins its group, there\u2019s a 66.5% chance it would face the third-place team out of Group B, which happens to also be Canada\u2019s group.<\/p>\n

That means Group B instantly becomes more interesting to the U.S.<\/a> than many may realize.<\/p>\n

An opening 1-1 tie between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina, followed by a copycat result when Qatar faced Switzerland, sets the tone for a tightly-packed group that could go all the way to the wire.<\/p>\n

For rivalry reasons \u2014 and the fact they are coached by former U.S. assistant Jesse Marsch \u2014 keep a close eye on Canada\u2019s situation. But the Bosnia & Herzegovina-Qatar game at the same time in Seattle could have similar importance.<\/p>\n

5. Egypt vs. IranSeattle; Friday, June 26, 11 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

If the U.S. finishes second in its group, it sets the Americans up for a direct line to face the second-place finisher of Group G.<\/p>\n

That would be one of Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand, making nearly every match in this group a worthy watch. New Zealand, despite the legend of viral sensation Tim Payne, is entering this tournament as clear underdog of this group, while Belgium, which beat the U.S. 5-2 in March, is the favorite.<\/p>\n

For probability\u2019s sake, let\u2019s focus on Egypt and Iran.<\/p>\n

These two teams are likely vying for second, and Iran would make a highly-charged opponent for the U.S. for obvious reasons, both sporting and political. The two have a history of meeting at World Cups, but this time around, their governments are currently at war.<\/p>\n

This fixture falls on the last match day of the group, and is being played at the same time as Belgium vs. New Zealand.<\/p>\n

\"Germany<\/p>\n

\n After the U.S.\u2019s rousing win in the World Cup opener, it\u2019s less of a likelihood, but a rematch Germany looms as a potential last-32 scenario (Jamie Squire \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

6. Germany vs. EcuadorNew Jersey; Thursday, June 25, 4 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

The U.S. failing to make it out of the group stage (which, after beating Paraguay, makes that almost an impossibility<\/a>) would be a disaster. Finishing third would be the next worst thing.<\/p>\n

There is a 64.2% chance that, if the U.S. does fail to maximize its strong start and lands among the eight best third-place finishers, it would play the winner of Group E \u2014 which includes Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Cura\u00e7ao. (The U.S. could also land the winner of Groups I or K, opening up possibilities for Portugal, Colombia, France, Senegal and Norway, among others)<\/p>\n

The favorite is Germany, which just defeated the U.S. 2-1 in the final warm-up game for both teams last week. But another potential team the U.S. could face is Ecuador \u2026 which brings us to New Jersey.<\/p>\n

If this group remains tight and goes to the wire, Ecuador, which played the U.S. to a 1-1 draw last October, will be fighting for a chance to upset the European giant, and whoever wins will likely be waiting in the round of 32.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ever since the World Cup draw was conducted last December, the dates and times of the United States\u2019…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":702590,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,1246,103,4122,28970,113962,6797,6090,801,3,35381,15275,403,13646,12807,21,19,22,20,25,47812,24],"class_list":["post-702589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-america","tag-australia","tag-canada","tag-ecuador","tag-egypt","tag-fifa-mens-world-cup","tag-germany","tag-international-football","tag-iran","tag-news","tag-paraguay","tag-qatar","tag-soccer","tag-switzerland","tag-turkey","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-us-mens-national-team","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=702589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702589\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/702590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=702589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=702589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=702589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}