USA vs. Australia: Seattle dog makes definitive pick for World Cup game

A Seattle dog (the kind that barks, not the kind with cream cheese) has made an important prediction ahead of the USA vs. Australia World Cup match that kicks off at noon Friday.

Junior, a three-year-old pup, sat in front of a crowd of media members Thursday morning with two bowls in front of him. Both were filled with peanut butter bacon ice cream. To his right there was red bowl with the American flag in front of it. To his left, a blue bowl had the Australian flag.

Junior left no doubts about his allegiance to the U.S. Despite the measures taken in order to ensure that both countries would have a fair chance, Junior immediately approached the red bowl and began licking away at the pup cup. The favorable prediction for the U.S. should be a welcome boost for fans. If team USA wins Friday's match against Australia, they are virtually guaranteed a spot in the knockout rounds.

On stage with Junior was Drew Carey, host of The Price Is Right and part owner of the Seattle Sounders, and Peter Tomozawa, the CEO of Seattle's World Cup local organizing committee.

Carey has hosted the game show since 2007. His predecessor, Bob Barker, ended every show by telling viewers to remember to spay and neuter their pets. It's a tradition that Carey has continued.

We are all about animals on the show," Carey said. "Adoption and foster care."

He introduced the Seattle Animal Shelter, a city-run organization that takes in all kinds of animals. Junior, who Carey described as the "lucky mystic dog is currently up for adoption.

While Junior clearly chose the U.S., he had some extra love to go around. After finishing his American scoop of ice cream, he made the (very short) walk across the stage to eat his serving in the Australian bowl, too.

With Junior's prediction documented, all that's left to do is wait for the match to begin. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to head toward Seattle Stadium for the game. Many more will head to various watch parties.

Both teams enter the match with one win under their belt. USA beat Paraguay 4-1 on June 12. A second win Friday should put it in the knockout rounds and might create a pathway for the team to return to Seattle for the July 6 round of 16 match.

Australia played its first game against Türkiye on June 13. It won 2-0.

Neither team has won a World Cup. The U.S.' best performance was almost 100 years ago when it finished third in 1930. More recently, the team reached the quarterfinals in 2002 and finished fourth.

Australia has never made it past a round of 16 match, which is where it finished in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Was Junior's prediction correct? Only time will tell.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 5:01 PM.