American pundits have called it a “lay up.” They’ve said Australia doesn’t have any good players. That the Socceroos are nothing but an average team led by a “smug” coach. The Australians, for their part, seem to be enjoying every word of it.
Ahead of their Group D showdown against the United States in Seattle on June 19/20, the Socceroos are leaning hard into their underdog narrative. And on Polymarket, the numbers back up the disrespect: the US is sitting at roughly 62% to win, with Australia priced at around 18%. The draw comes in at approximately 22%.
From dismissal to fuel
Australia opened the tournament with a decisive 2-0 victory over Turkiye, a result that quietly suggested the Socceroos might be more dangerous than their global ranking of around 27th would indicate.
The US, meanwhile, rolled Paraguay 4-1 in their opener, giving the co-hosts every reason to feel confident. Group D also includes Turkiye and Paraguay, with the top two teams plus the best third-placed sides advancing to the knockout stages under the expanded 48-team format.
