Australia produced one of the biggest surprises of the tournament with an impressive 2-0 victory over Türkiye, while Scotland secured a hard-fought win against Haiti to strengthen their position in the group stage.
In Group D, the Australians defied expectations with a disciplined performance that saw them overcome a highly-rated Turkish side. Rising star Nestory Irankunda put Australia ahead in the 27th minute after finishing off a swift counterattack that caught the Turkish defence off guard.
Goalkeeper Patrick Beach emerged as one of the heroes of the match, making a series of crucial saves to keep Türkiye at bay despite sustained pressure throughout the contest.
Australia sealed the victory in the 75th minute when Connor Metcalfe unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area, leaving the goalkeeper with little chance.
The result moves Australia level on points with the United States at the top of Group D after the Americans recorded a convincing win over Paraguay.
In Group C, Scotland celebrated their return to the world stage with a narrow 1-0 victory over Haiti in a tense encounter.
The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when captain John McGinn found the net with a shot that took a deflection before beating Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide.
Scotland looked comfortable during the opening half and nearly extended their lead when Scott McTominay struck the woodwork. However, Haiti mounted a strong response after the interval and dominated large portions of the second half.
The Caribbean side came close to finding an equaliser late in the game, with Frantzdy Pierrot narrowly missing the target with a header in the closing stages.
Despite the pressure, Scotland held firm defensively to secure all three points and move to the summit of Group C following the draw between Brazil and Morocco in the group’s other fixture
