USMNT Looks for More Mile High Magic Ahead of World Cup

As preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup continue, the U.S. Men’s National Team hopes to keep climbing at a higher altitude. 

The USMNT will face Australia on Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET from DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. presented by American Airlines. 

Colorado has been a storied location for the Americans who hold a 7W-1L-0D record in the state. Overall, the USMNT is undefeated in three games in Commerce City. All three were World Cup Qualifying matches where the United States beat Guatemala 2-0 in 2008, Costa Rica 1-0 in 2013 and Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in 2017. 

The match in 2013 became known as the “Snow Clasico” as the U.S. claimed victory over the Costa Rican side with a thick sheet of snow blanketing the green pitch. USMNT legendary forward Clint Dempsey scored the lone goal in the march to the 2014 World Cup. 

Snow may not be in the forecast for this autumn friendly, but the competition will be just as intense. Australia qualified for the world’s biggest tournament in June and poses an important challenge for the USMNT's development. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino and USMNT leaders like veteran Tim Ream have emphasized the importance of the four international windows remaining before next summer, and Australia is an example of the kind of world-class talent on the schedule. To close out 2025, the USA will face two more World Cup-bound nations — Paraguay and Uruguay - in November.

October’s match at the home of the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer will be just the fourth meeting between the USMNT and Australia. It’s been more than 15 years since the two last matched up, where the Americans won 3-0 in Roodepoort, South Africa, in USA’s final tune-up before the 2010 World Cup. Overall, the all-time record is split 1W-1L-1D. 

While the USMNT builds history against Australia, it holds plenty of history in the state of Colorado. The United States has played at three stadiums in the Denver metro area: DICK’s Sporting Goods Park, Empower Field at Mile High and the old Mile High Stadium. 

Empower Field has been the stage for two Concacaf Nations League matches, including the 2021 Nations League Final. The USMNT captured the 2021 Nations League trophy in a 3-2 victory over Mexico in extra time. In the first half, each side put one score on the board. In the 79th minute, Mexico scored but the lead didn't hold for long with midfielder Weston McKennie equalizing in the 82nd minute. Forward Christian Pulisic stunningly found the back of the net in the 114th minute to win the game. 

That wasn’t the only time the USMNT beat its biggest rival on that field. Rewind the calendar almost 20 years further to April 2002 when the USA beat Mexico 1-0 in a friendly leading into the World Cup in South Korea and Japan. South Korea was the site of the iconic 2-0 — perhaps the biggest “Dos a Cero” — win over Mexico in the Round of 16. 

Now, the USMNT looks to muster up some of that magic heading into another World Cup, this time on home soil.