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Australia v Turkey: World Cup 2026 – live | World Cup 2026
Key events
Conditions tonight are perfect – because the fixture is taking place beneath the closed BC Place roof. No concerns regarding heat and altitude that will be guiding the preparations of other World cup contenders.
Popovic’s selection of the English Championship pair of Mo Toure and Nestory Irankunda up front is an enormous moment for Australia’s African diaspora.
And now James Paraskevas. “Look I think we can get something from the game today. Yes Turkey have some technically gifted players, but to be fair they have always had that. Their main problem has been their inconsistency over the years – which I believe we can exploit. If I was Popovic I would tell the players to press Turkey and don’t let their technicians get time on the ball. The last thing you want to do here is give Turkey all the time and space of The Black Sea because they will eventually put you away.”
With such a youthful energetic side selected there’ll be no excuses if Australia fail to deny Turkey time on the ball.
A pair of Paraskevas’s (Paraskevi?) have joined in. First up, here’s Chris, with the kind of tactical analysis that makes my job much easier.
“Have largely enjoyed the World Cup despite the anticipated dilution of quality: actually I think the games between the lower tier teams have had a weird festive atmosphere, wrapped up in a clear tension as nations debut or return after long periods away.
Australia are no longer in that category: this is our sixth big dance in a row. You could almost lump us in the Mexico category at this point as ever-presents who don’t create too much disruption.
I don’t mind a youthful lineup and I think Ryan hasn’t always been consistent for us at World Cups, though it’s odd that his excellent season in Spain isn’t being capitalised on – his mere presence in the squad is important enough.
Montella’s team will undoubtedly dominate and manipulate the ball, but they are right in their pre-game assertions about our set piece / long-ball threat: it has worked for us before against “better” teams at World Cups.
We will need to be so patient, because this iteration of the Turkish squad seems to be built as a unit, Montella perhaps trying to channel the collective spirit that Fatih Terim was so good at doing.
I think it’s going to be a fascinating tie. Toure and Iranuknda up top? At the very least it’ll give Demiral and co. something to think about while they recycle their 92% of possession.”
Today’s referee is the percussively sounding Jesús Valenzuela from Portuguesa Venezuela.
For my money, the Socceroo with the highest ceiling is 23 year old Jordy Bos. The Feyenoord left wingback has young Gareth Bale vibes and his speed carrying the ball from deep will be vital to how Australia attack in transition.
The son of Dutch backpacker Jacco who met mother Sandra while travelling in Australia, Bos grew up in Point Cook in the western suburbs of Melbourne. “I’m more of a guy that just plays and gets on with it,” he says.
His junior club, Hoppers Crossing, is best known as the place where Mad Max was filmed. That movie’s protagonist Max Rockatansky is fuelled by vengeance in a post-apocalyptic dystopia. Bos appears less complicated. “Whatever everyone’s saying, it’s nice to hear,” he says. “But, you know, I don’t put any pressure on myself.”
Form Guide:
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27th ranked Australia ended 2025 with a hat-trick of friendly defeats on US soil. They rebounded to begin 2026 with a pair of farewell friendly victories, with their World Cup preparations concluding in California with a 1-0 defeat to Mexico and a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
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Goals are the problem. In those five matches without a win across their past seven outings they scored just twice.
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23rd ranked Turkey have been flying since the beginning of 2025, winning 11 of their 14 matches.
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They have won all four matches this year, conceding only once along the way.
“It’s a youthful line-up,” admits Tony Popovic, “a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm, and I have a lot of trust in them.” The Australia coach not fudging his decision to drop Mat Ryan and Jackson Irvine.
New to the Socceroos? Fear not.
After reaching the last 16 for the second time, in 2022, the hope is that the Socceroos can win a first knockout game. It will be easier said than done while starting in an evenly matched group but, as is his way, Popovic has insisted the side are up to the challenge. “We’re always deemed as the underdog or the team that will be fighting for the bottom spot and we have an opportunity through our actions and our performances and results to show that that can be different,” the Socceroos coach said in early May.
Need to know anything about Turkey? Emre Sarigul has the answers.
Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella has been building one of the nation’s strongest teams in living memory. A youth-driven squad with two genuine stars – Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz – several players were not even born when the Crescent Stars last qualified for a World Cup and finished third in 2002.
In past tournaments, Turkey were often labelled as “dark horses” – which turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing. This time, Montella has constructed a squad that sits among those on the rung below heavyweights Spain, France and Argentina.
“I really thought Haiti Scotland would be the first really fun game with loads of goals, but it seems I was wrong. Turkey’s faith being in two players so young surely gives Australia a chance, no?” ponders Sid Hutchings.
While Yildiz and Guler are the standout names, Turkey have nine players in their squad at clubs in Europe’s top five leagues, including the highly credentialed Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan), experienced Zeki Çelik Roma), and Brighton regular Ferdi Kadıoğlu. Now that we know Australia’s XI, this will clearly be a clash of proven quality against the excitement of the unknown.
Turkey XI
Kenan Yildiz starts on the bench as he recovers from a slight knock. Kerem Aktürkoğlu starts up front in the only deviation from what you might consider Turkey’s best XI.
23 Cakir (gk), 20 Kadioglu, 14 Bardakci, 3 Demiral, 2 Celik; 16 Yuksek, 10 Calhanoglu (c); 21 Yilmaz, 6 Kokcu, 8 Guler; 7 Akturkoglu.
Australia XI
Australia begin their World Cup campaign with an incredibly inexperienced line-up, missing leaders Jackson Irvine and Mat Ryan. Skipper for the day Harry Souttar is the most-capped man in the starting XI with just 38 appearances under his belt. Cameron Burgess is the only starter out of his 20s with seven players 24 or younger.
18. Patrick Beach (gk), 4. Jacob Italiano, 3. Alesandro Circati, 19. Harry Souttar, (c) 21 Cameron Burgess, 5. Jordy Bos; 13. Aiden O’Neill, 24. Paul Okon-Engstler; 8. Connor Metcalfe, 17. Nestory Irankunda, 9. Mo Toure.
Jack Snape is our man in Vancouver today, and he sets the scene with Australia relishing their status as underdogs.
Though they have not reached a World Cup in 24 years, they are ranked higher than the Socceroos and are clear favourites ahead of the Saturday evening clash in Vancouver, the first fixture of the tournament in a city that – far more than the San Francisco Bay Area where Australia are based – has come alive for the World Cup.
Turkey’s supposed superiority became a key theme of the match eve. Captain Hakan Calhanoglu described his side as “more talented” than Australia in an afternoon press conference, and predicted his side would “dominate” the game.
Scotland have held on to claim a nerve-wracking 1-0 win over a spirited Haiti to take an early lead in Group B. The Scots can finally look forward to knockout football for the first time in their long history.
Vancouver has an Australian presence throughout the year, but the city will be green and gold this evening.
Roughly 25,000 people in Canada claimed Australia as their birthplace in the 2021 census. Almost half live in British Columbia. Many of them are only here because of the mountains that crisscross Canada’s westernmost province.
The ski town of Whistler 120 km away is colloquially known as “Whistralia”. Snow-obsessed Australians make up a significant part of the region’s alpine culture thanks to an uncapped visa scheme that allows working holiday stays for two years, longer than most countries. Many never leave.
There are Australian-owned hospitality businesses, like the bakery Peaked Pies and the downtown pub Moose’s Down Under, which has a kangaroo burger on the menu. Nearby wildlife retreat Great Bear Lodge is managed by an Australian, Marg Leehane, a software developer from Melbourne who pursued a life in the wilderness.
As Jack just mentioned, today’s fixture is at Vancouver Stadium, AKA BC Place. It is the home of the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS and hosted the 2015 Women’s World Cup final. It has a capacity of just over 50,000.
Jack Snape
Australians are everywhere in downtown Vancouver, as the tune of Waltzing Matilda bounces between the skycrapers. With two hours until kick-off against Turkey, Socceroos fans are making their way into BC Place, including one large group marching through the city.
Australia is in the top 10 nations overall in terms of ticket purchases by country of residency. The others are USA, Canada, Mexico, England, Germany, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and France – all footballing powers or hosts, underscoring the commitment of Australia’s fans to this tournament.
Many also appear to be committed drinkers, given the spirits already evident among Socceroos fans on this steamy afternoon. Three hours before kick-off, police outside the stadium told The Guardian there had not been any incidents.
The Socceroos have walked off their team bus decked out in dark suits and ties and white shirts, with Tony Popovic adopting an all-black ensemble. Inside BC Place, the air is muggy under the translucent roof at the home of the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS, a team with an uncertain future.
Before we get stuck into the main event, let’s have a quick whip around the day’s action so far.
Brazil looked very ordinary against a Morocco side who might regret not capitalising on their early ascendancy.
Switzerland registered 3.24 xg to Qatar’s 0.76 but the spoils were shared to leave Group B perfectly even after the opening round of matches.
If you’re new to this page you might not know that The Guardian has an Australian edition. Consequently there is plenty of Socceroos related content to enjoy, and my coverage will naturally skew in that direction.
If you would like to contribute anything, please send it via email to jonathan.howcroft.casual@guardian.co.uk.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of match six of the 2026 World Cup between Asutralia and Turkey. Kick-off in this Group D clash at Vancouver Stadium is 9pm local time (2pm AEST/12am EST/5am BST).
This is a fixture with refined context following the USA exploding out of the blocks against Paraguay. The tournament co-hosts laid down a significant marker for Group D supremacy to the highly fancied Turkey, while Australia must have watched Los Guaraníes toiling with increasing confidence at least third place is theirs for the taking.
The Socceroos only qualified for one World Cup up to 2006 but since that coming out party in Germany they have been ever-present. They overachieved in Qatar, reaching the knockout stage for only the second time, and winning twice for the first time in finals history.
Remarkably, this is only Turkey’s third World Cup, and their first since 2002 when they finished third. They have been on a steady rankings rise since 2024, a run that coincides with the emergence of two of the brightest stars in the game, Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, and Juventus’s Kenan Yildiz. Much is expected of that pair of 21 year olds.
There is plenty of time before kick-off so settle in, enjoy the second half of Haiti v Scotland, and send me some emails to get the conversation flowing.
Nearly 400 workers at Glasgow Airport have accepted offers from bosses at ICTS and Menzies Aviation.
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UK News
Middle East crisis live: US and Iran reach peace deal as European leaders warn Tehran ‘must never acquire a nuclear weapon’ | US-Israel war on Iran
Key events
How much sticking power will the “great deal” – as Trump has described it – have given that so many details are yet to be addressed?
Speaking to Australian Associated Press, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an expert on Middle Eastern politics who spent more than two years in an Iranian prison, said the pause in fighting would probably be temporary because of unaddressed sticking points.
The agreement failed to deal with Tehran’s ambitions to build nuclear weapons, its use of proxies in the region, its missile program and human rights abuses, she said.
Every single reason cited for this war by the Trump administration … has not been addressed,” she said.
All those sticking points remain, and we can expect that the Islamic Republic will continue in its intransigence and resist coming to any kind of arrangement or agreement on those points.
This is just kicking the can down the road to the next conflict.”
World leaders react to the peace deal
News of the deal has sparked comment from leaders around the globe, including in France, Qatar, the UK, Turkey, Japan and Australia.
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Qatar’s foreign ministry expressed its “full support for all efforts and initiatives aimed at enhancing regional security and stability’”.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed “the need to avoid rhetoric, provocations, and actions that could escalate tensions in the period leading up to the signing of the agreement, and to remain vigilant against possible sabotage.”
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French President Emmanuel Macron called for “the urgent and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that France and the UK were “ready to support”.
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British prime minister Keir Starmer said “toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that the UK was ready “to offer support on mine clearance.” “It remains the UK’s firm and longstanding position that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon,” he added.
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Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and foreign minister Penny Wong called for “continued restraint and constructive engagement”. “Iran must address longstanding concerns about its nuclear program and the threat it poses to international security,” they said in a joint statement.
Crude prices plunge, stocks surge on US-Iran peace deal
News of the US-Iran peace deal has been greeted by global markets with a sigh of relief.
The strait of Hormuz – a vital maritime chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil supply transits – was effectively closed by Tehran soon after US-Israel strikes on Iran kicked off the conflict on 28 February, roiling global markets for months.
Writing on Truth Social on his 80th birthday, President Trump said:
“ I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
Crude prices tanked as much as 5% Monday, with West Texas Intermediate approaching $80 a barrel for the first time since the start of March. Brent was down more than 4% at about $83.60
Asian equities surged, led by Tokyo and Seoul, which piled on more than 5% apiece.
It’s been an eventful day, with the most substantial development we have seen so far in reaching a peace deal.
The tentative agreement comes more than three months after the US and Israel launched strikes Iran. But a lot of questions remain.
This helpful explainer addresses what we know, and don’t, so far.
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East, with the US and Iran agreeing to a tentative deal to end the war.
There are still many details to be ironed out after an MoU is expected to be signed in Geneva on Friday.
Here is what we know so far.
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The US and Iran have reached a tentative peace deal to end the war, although many critical questions and details, including the reopening of the strait of Hormuz, and the future of Iran’s nuclear program, remain unanswered.
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The agreement was first announced by Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who has been acting as a mediator. Minutes later, Donald Trump confirmed the deal, writing: “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!”
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Trump subsequently said the “Great Deal” would bring peace and security to the region and claimed the strait of Hormuz would be reopened. “The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace,” he said in a post on Truth Social. “With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!”
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In televised comments, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the agreement with the United States puts an “immediate end” to the countries’ war. He said the end of the war had been declared on all fronts, including Lebanon.
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However, how the strait of Hormuz will be managed seems uncertain, with Iran’s state media Mehr saying that an MoU expected to be signed in Geneva on Friday stipulates that it will be carried out under “Iranian arrangements”.
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In a call to the New York Times, Trump claimed that under the deal the strait would be “permanently toll free”.
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Trump also insisted that if Iran failed to reach a final nuclear accord with the US, he would restart military attacks on Tehran or make the US “the guardian of the Middle East” in return for 20% of the region’s revenues.
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Some, such as Republican senator Lindsey Graham have expressed concern about the differing substance from US and Iranian negotiating teams.
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Leaders in Europe, Japan, and Australia have welcomed the deal, while the UN chief António Guterres hailed it as a “critical step”.
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Asian markets have responded positively to news, with benchmarks in Tokyo and Seoul gaining more than 5% early Monday. Oil prices fell more than $3 a barrel.
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There has been no immediate reaction to the announcement from Israel, which has said it was not party to the planned US-Iran deal. The agreement was sealed despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and Trump.
British sanctions ban vessels from this “shadow fleet”, as it is known in the West, from entering UK ports and also prohibit British firms and individuals from providing financial, insurance or brokerage services to ships that supply or deliver Russian oil.
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