NYCFC's Aiden O'Neill made his World Cup debut in the Socceroos' win | OneFootball

Aiden O'Neill, Kai Trewin, and the Australia national football team found themselves in a warm BC Place on Saturday night, playing in their first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was a late game for those on the east coast who stayed up to watch the match, for certainly some New York City FC players stayed up to catch their guys take on Türkiye.

If they did, then fans would have been treated to a fantastic midnight match. But for those in the stadium, Australia shocked the world by putting on a superb defensive performance and even found the back of the net as well. The Socceroos won 2-0, beating Türkiye. O'Neill started and played the whole game, making his World Cup debut, while Trewin remained on the bench.

NYCFC's Aiden O'Neill made his World Cup debut and won

Before the game, many likely would have never thought that Australia would play the way that they played. The compact defensive formation was a major reason why they walked away with a shutout and all three points. The focus was on protecting the ball and getting it away as fast as possible. NYCFC's O'Neill was a big part of that work, for the defensive midfielder continued to play at the high level that he plays with the Pigeons.

And again, the Socceroos spent plenty of time defending, for Türkiye had a majority of the possession. The difference was that their players could not break the deadlock, and Australia's goalkeeper, Patrick Beach, might have had one of the best goalkeeper performances of the tournament thus far. He had eight saves and a clean sheet. What is interesting is that he was a shocking addition to the Starting XI, replacing the veteran and captain, Matthew Ryan.

Such a decision could have influenced O'Neill and his teammates, but obviously, that was not the case. Instead, the Socceroos ended the night with a victory.

In addition, Trewin, despite not playing, can say that he was a part of a team that won a World Cup game. O'Neill might tell his grandkids about this game.

Moreover, as of today, two NYCFC players have made their World Cup debuts for their national teams. Matt Freese started in goal for the United States men's national team, winning against Paraguay on Friday night. Hence, since both national teams are in Group D, they are tied on points. The Stars and Stripes are ahead based on goal differential.

Looking ahead, Australia and the USMNT will face each other this Friday. Both will strive to win so they can sit at the top of the group. And perhaps Freese, O'Neill, and Trewin will all be on the pitch at the same time. That would be incredible for NYCFC and would mark a moment in the team's history.