USMNT did something it hadn’t done since 1930

The United States Men’s National Team is doing things at the 2026 FIFA World Cup that it hasn’t done in nearly a century.

With Friday’s 2-0 win over Australia, the U.S. clinched Group D at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the first time the team has won its group since the 2010 tournament. That run included a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay in the opener before the Americans closed out the group stage by beating Australia 2-0 in a match where they were without superstar Christian Pulisic, who sat out with a calf injury.

With the win over Australia, the USMNT did something that it hadn’t done at the World Cup since 1930: win consecutive matches.

Back in 1930, the format was very different, but the USMNT beat Belgium 3-0 and Paraguay 3-0 to secure a place in the knockout stage. In that tournament, the group had just three teams, and only four sides reached the next round, effectively reaching the semifinals. However, the run ended there in rather emphatic fashion, falling 6-1 to Argentina in the semifinal.

With the two consecutive victories, the United States also clinched first place in the group for the first time since 2010 after Paraguay beat Türkiye 1-0

The U.S. became just the second team to clinch its group at this World Cup, after Mexico sealed Group A a day earlier. With the group already secured, the United States can now set its sights on preparing for the next stage of the tournament instead of worrying about securing a result against Türkiye.