The Group D clash between the United States and Australia in Seattle has been billed as the next chapter in a growing rivalry, but the two nations share remarkably similar soccer journeys.
Both countries are fighting for relevance in sporting landscapes dominated by other codes. In the US, American football, basketball, and baseball reign supreme.
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In Australia, AFL and NRL dominate winter, with cricket leading summer.
Socceroos midfielder Aiden O'Neill, who plays for New York City FC, sees the parallels.
“Soccer in the US is similar to Australia, it's starting to change here in America,” he said.
“You've got some massive other sports, but I think it's starting to grow in popularity.”
Despite being the top organized sport for youth in the US, with over 7 million participants aged 7-17 in 2025, soccer still faces stigma.
Bernardo Ramallo of Soccer Without Borders recalls taunts from his Virginia childhood: “Soccer is weak, football's a real sport” and “soccer is a girls' sport.”
In Australia, football has about 850,000 participants under 17, trailing only swimming, but the sport similarly battles for mainstream attention.
Noelle Shaw, a former junior goalkeeper from Oakland, believes soccer doesn't get the respect it deserves.
“Soccer is a hard sport, and I don't think a lot of people realise that to run back and forth on that field for 90 minutes, no time-outs, no anything, that takes a different level of grit and drive.”
