🇺🇸 United States vs 🇦🇺 Australia

The USA are one of three host nations, playing in front of home crowds who are still, collectively, figuring out how to watch football. Expect 70,000 people in stadiums that normally host the Super Bowl — passionate but occasionally confused about the rules.

Their coach is Mauricio Pochettino, who built Tottenham into a Champions League finalist before being sacked. By European standards he's a genuinely respected manager, which feels like a significant upgrade for US football.

The USA open on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles against Paraguay. The crowd will be enormous. The noise will be genuine. The football may or may not be — but at least it'll look good on telly.

American football is growing fast. This squad is full of players who actually grew up loving the game rather than just playing it because they were tall. The talent level is higher than at any previous US World Cup.

They're in Group D with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. If the USA don't get out of the group playing at home, it will be a national incident. Probably mention that — it sets up the stakes nicely.

Australia reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup — their best ever result — by beating Denmark and then taking Argentina to penalties. People forget this every time and are then surprised when Australia cause an upset. Don't be that person.

The Socceroos are in Group D with USA, Paraguay and Turkey — a tough group, but their 2022 run showed nothing should be ruled out when it comes to Australia.

Manager Tony Popovic was only appointed in 2024, making this effectively his first major tournament. Australia's results will define how his whole tenure is judged. That's quite a high-stakes debut.

Australian football exists in an odd space — the A-League hasn't quite taken hold as a major sport domestically, yet the national team consistently produces players good enough for Europe's top leagues. The infrastructure is somehow working despite everything.

Harry Souttar is their defensive lynchpin but has struggled with injuries. The squad's depth is thinner than in 2022, and how they manage without their best players is the key question going in.