VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Australian midfielder Aiden O’Neill said the excitement of the 2026 World Cup was a major reason he left Belgium for the United States in his prime.
Read more Mexico becomes first country to reach knockout stage of World Cup, beating South Korea 1-0
O’Neill joined New York City FC during the 2025 Major League Soccer season, sharing a locker room with fellow Australian Kai Trewin and several Americans including U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese.
After a season and a half as teammates, O’Neill and Freese have been thrown into the biggest roles of their lives. They’ll be on opposite sides on Friday when Australia faces the United States in Seattle.
“We’re excited to play against each other,” O’Neill said. “It’d be good to get one up on him, that’s for sure.”
When manager Tony Popovic boldly left veterans Mathew Ryan and Jackson Irvine out of the starting XI for Australia’s group opener against Turkey , O’Neill quickly became the leader of the Socceroos’ four-man midfield. Meanwhile, Freese got the start in his first-ever World Cup match against Paraguay .
Both O’Neill and Freese shone in their World Cup debuts, contributing to wins. When the teammates face off again on Friday, the result could decide the top of Group D.
Read more Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles advance in Maine governor’s race
Trewin, a defender who is also on NYCFC and Australia’s World Cup squad but did not appear in the 2-0 win over Turkey, added that he has “never wanted to win a game more than this one.”
NYCFC reached the MLS Cup playoff semifinals with O’Neill and Freese as starters in 2025. Trewin moved from Australia to join the two in the starting lineup for 2026, and the squad currently sits in a playoff spot again during the league’s World Cup break.
Now, the matchup between the Australians and Americans will likely be the biggest game for all three to date.
___
Ben Kule is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
Read more Raúl Rangel uses ‘pure reaction’ to make save that moves Mexico into knockout stage of World Cup
___
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
