VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) 鈥� Australian midfielder Aiden O鈥橬eill said the excitement of the 2026 World Cup was a major reason he left Belgium for the United States in his prime.
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鈥橬eill 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.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to play against each other,鈥� O鈥橬eill said. 鈥淚t鈥檇 be good to get one up on him, that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�
When manager Tony Popovic boldly left veterans Mathew Ryan and Jackson Irvine out of the starting XI for Australia鈥檚 , O鈥橬eill quickly became the leader of the Socceroos鈥� four-man midfield. Meanwhile, Freese got the start in his first-ever World Cup match .
Strong starts
Both O鈥橬eill 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.
Trewin, a defender who is also on NYCFC and Australia鈥檚 World Cup squad but did not appear in the 2-0 win over Turkey, added that he has 鈥渘ever wanted to win a game more than this one.鈥�
NYCFC reached the MLS Cup playoff semifinals with O鈥橬eill 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鈥檚 World Cup break.
Now, the matchup between the Australians and Americans will likely be the biggest game for all three to date.
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Ben Kule is a student in the University of Georgia鈥檚 Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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