Australia's Socceroos concluded their preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland, ranked 19th in the world, during a friendly match held in San Diego.

Debut Goal for Yengi

Tete Yengi marked his debut for the national team with an equalizing goal after Switzerland took the lead in the first half through Dan Ndoye. The Socceroos struggled offensively in the first half, managing only two shots, neither of which were on target. However, a more spirited performance in the second half, aided by four substitutions, allowed Australia to find their footing.

The equalizer came in the 56th minute, thanks to a combination of two substitutes. Cameron Burgess delivered a long ball from deep in defense to Connor Metcalfe, who broke through the Swiss defense. With goalkeeper Gregor Kobel drawn off his line, Metcalfe squared the ball to an unmarked Yengi, who slid it into the empty net.

First Half Struggles

Prior to Yengi's goal, Australia had limited opportunities in the first half. Cristian Volpato, making his senior international debut, had one of the few chances, delivering a free kick that set up Harry Souttar for a header, which unfortunately went off target. The only other notable chance came early in the match when a corner from Nestory Irankunda was glanced through the penalty area without a decisive touch.

Switzerland took the lead in the 14th minute when Granit Xhaka played a defense-splitting pass to Dan Ndoye, who scored with a shot across Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach. Ndoye had already threatened the Socceroos earlier in the match, with a shot saved by Beach in the eighth minute.

As the match progressed, Switzerland employed strategic fouls to disrupt Australia's counter-attacks, resulting in yellow cards for Manuel Akanji and Granit Xhaka for fouls on Irankunda and Volpato, respectively. Despite the challenges, the Socceroos' second-half performance showcased their resilience as they prepared for the upcoming World Cup.