BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Oct. 19, 2026) – The U.S. Power Soccer National Team continued group play in the 2026 FIPFA Powerchair World Cup, splitting two important matches with a 2-1 win against Italy and falling 4-0 to France at the Olympic Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The results, combined with a surprise 1-0 victory for Italy over host Argentina in the afternoon, leave the U.S. in fourth place in the round-robin portion of the competition with critical matches on Tuesday against Uruguay and Argentina.
The top four teams in the 10-team tournament advance to the semifinals to be held Thursday, Oct. 22.
Against upstart Italy, who have been the surprise of the tournament with four wins in their first five matches overall, the U.S. jumped out early and dominated the match behind first-half goals from Nathan Mayer and Riley Johnson.
The first goal was created when Zach Dickey, playing forward from his goalkeeping position, jumped onto a loose ball at the top of the penalty area, drove toward the left of the box and then deftly slid a ball across the goal mouth that Mayer was able to tuck home forcefully at the back post before the Italian defense could fully reposition themselves. The goal was Mayer’s third all-time for the U.S., all of which have come in World Cup play.
The second U.S. goal came courtesy of captain Jordan Dickey, who was fouled at the top of the penalty area as he moved his chair into a dangerous position to attack and was backed into by Italian Gabriel Mindru.
The resulting penalty kick was taken confidently by Riley Johnson, tallying his 24th goal for the U.S. all-time and first in this World Cup. Johnson and Jordan Dickey came into the competition tied in career goals (second on the U.S. goalscoring charts) and have each scored once thus far in this competition.
In the second half against Italy, the U.S. was less effective, allowing their first goal of the tournament after three clean sheets, but were able to hold on to the 2-1 win despite not having any shots on goal in the second stanza.
Against France, the U.S. was generally pushed to the limit from the beginning, allowing two goals in each half and being outshot for the match 16-2 (including 12-0 in shots on goal). World star Mohamad Ghelami wasted no time setting the standard, scoring twice in the first half and picking up an assist on the game’s final goal.
On the first goal, the striker’s savvy was on full display in the 12th minute as Ghelami picked up a ball that seemed to be well under control by goalkeeper Zach Dickey and Johnson in the penalty area and confidently controlled it over the line with his chair in a battle with Johnson. The onslaught was on from there, as the Frenchman scored again on an unassisted goal three minutes later, and the U.S. was never able to muster an attack to get back in the game.
Next up for the U.S. are two critical matches on Tuesday, Oct. 20 from the Olympic Park venue in Buenos Aires. The U.S. begins the day at 10 a.m. local (9 a.m. ET) against Uruguay before returning to the court at 2:30 p.m. local (1:30 p.m. ET) to battle host Argentina, who the U.S. bested for third place at the last World Cup.
Argentina’s upset loss to close out the action on Monday turned the tables on the standings, meaning Tuesday’s matches will most assuredly be must-win games for the U.S. in their quest to qualify for the top four and the semifinals. Both games can be streamed live on the official FIPFA YouTube page, along with all the tournament action.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Match: U.S. Power Soccer National Team vs. Italy
Date: October 19, 2026
Competition: 2026 FIPFA World Cup – Group Stage
Venue: Buenos Aires Olympic Park – America Hall (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Kickoff: 11:30 a.m. local time
Attendance: 106
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| USA | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| ITA | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| USA – Nathan Mayer (Jordan Dickey) | 8th minute |
| USA – Riley Johnson (penalty kick) | 15 |
| ITA – D. Carapelle (G. Bernabe Capra) | 36 |
Lineups:
USA: 11-Zach Dickey; 2-Nathan Mayer, 3-Jordan Dickey (capt.), 22-Riley Johnson
Substitutes: 5-Lexi Heer, 8-Lindsay Muench, 9-Pete Winslow, 10-David Dowling
Head coach: Tracy Mayer
ITA: 8-G. Zoggia; 7-Gabriel Mindru, 9-D. Carapelle, 13-G. Bernabe Capra,
Substitutes: 10-S. Ranzato, 11-A. Youssef, 18-I. Infantino, 22-L. Salvaderi
Head coach: M. Ferrazza
Stats Summary: USA / ITA
Shots: 5 / 3
Shots on Goal: 3 / 3
Saves: 0 / 1
Blocks: 2 / 0
Corner Kicks: 0 / 2
Fouls: 7 / 3
2 v. 1: 5 / 1
| Misconduct Summary | |
| ITA – G. Mindru (Caution) | 17th minute |
Officials:
Referee: E. Smithers (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: M. Bean (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: C. Berthouloux (FRA)
Fourth Official: N. Balin (FRA)
Match: U.S. Power Soccer National Team vs. France
Date: October 19, 2026
Competition: 2026 FIPFA World Cup – Group Stage
Venue: Buenos Aires Olympic Park – America Hall (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. local time
Attendance: 158
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| USA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FRA | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| FRA – Mohamed Ghelami | 12th minute |
| FRA – Mohamed Ghelami (Y. Ayad Zeddam)) | 15 |
| FRA – A. Fillatre (T. Le Beller) | 22 |
| FRA – N. Kamardine (Mohamed Ghelami) | 32 |
Lineups:
USA: 11-Zach Dickey; 3-Jordan Dickey (capt.), 5-Lexi Heer, 22-Riley Johnson
Substitutes: 2-Nathan Mayer, 8-Lindsay Muench, 9-Pete Winslow, 10-David Dowling
Head coach: Tracy Mayer
FRA: 8-B. Weiss; 10-Mohamed Ghelami, 11-Y. Ayad Zeddam, 12. T. Le Beller
Substitutes: 6-N. Kamardine, 7-M. Amairi, 9-A. Fillatre, 21-N. Zeren
Head coach: D. Verge
Stats Summary: USA / FRA
Shots: 2 / 16
Shots on Goal: 0 / 12
Saves: 6 / 0
Blocks: 2 / 0
Corner Kicks: 0 / 1
Fouls: 5 / 3
2 v.1: 8 / 12
| Misconduct Summary | |
| FRA – Y. Ayad Zeddem (Caution) | 18th minute |
Officials:
Referee: R. Byrne (IRL)
Assistant Referee 1: M. Simon-Green (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: C. Salas (MEX)
Fourth Official: C. Gouldsbrough (ENG)