Kenya Sport

USMNT Falls to Turkey in Final Group D Match at 2026 World Cup

The United States men's national team (USMNT) came close to a positive end to their Group D campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles but conceded a stoppage-time goal that handed Turkey a 3-2 victory.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino fielded a largely rotated squad, and Sebastian Berhalter shone by assisting and scoring, becoming the first modern U.S. player to do both in the same World Cup match. Early on, Berhalter set up Auston Trusty for a third-minute opener, and later scored himself shortly after halftime.

Turkey, already eliminated before kickoff, capitalized on two defensive errors from the U.S., with Arda Guler and Orkun Kokcu scoring in quick succession around the half-hour mark to take a 2-1 lead. Despite their poor form compared to earlier matches, the European side showed resilience.

Substitutions and Key Moments

Christian Pulisic returned from injury, coming on at halftime and immediately influencing the game, nearly giving the U.S. the lead with a sharp shot in the 77th minute. Unfortunately, an ankle injury to Auston Trusty during stoppage time left the USMNT a man down during the final moments.

In a frantic scramble inside the penalty area during injury time, the U.S. failed to clear the ball, allowing substitute Kaan Ayhan to score the winning goal for Turkey with the last kick of the match, sparking emotional celebrations from the Turks despite their elimination.

Match Details

Final Score: USA 2 - 3 TurkeyLocation: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CAReferee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)

Starting XI USA (4-2-3-1): Turner (GK), Scally, Trusty, McKenzie, M. Robinson, Berhalter, Reyna, Aaronson, McKennie, Weah, Pepi.Starting XI Turkey (4-2-3-1): Cakir (GK), Celik, Bardacki, Kabak, Elmali, Ozcan, Kokcu, Aydin, Guler, Yildiz, Yilmaz.

Match Progression

  • 3' - Auston Trusty scores early for the U.S. after a corner kick setup by Berhalter.
  • 10' - Turkey equalizes through Arda Guler, taking advantage of defensive lapses.
  • 31' - Orkun Kokcu puts Turkey ahead with a slick team goal.
  • 48' - Berhalter blasts an equalizer from outside the box.
  • 90+8' - Kaan Ayhan's late strike wins it for Turkey.

Additional Notes

The match had no impact on the group standings since the U.S. had already secured first place and Turkey was out. The USMNT’s nine changes to the starting lineup set new World Cup records for most different starters (21) and players used (22) for the U.S.

Despite the loss, the team's overall effort with mostly backup players offers some encouragement heading into the knockout stage, where the U.S. will face Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Broadcast and Schedule

The game kicked off at 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET) and was available in the U.S. on FOX and Spanish-language channels Telemundo and Universo, as well as streaming platforms like Fubo and Peacock.

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