Team USA falls to Türkiye in final Group D match at World Cup

While the United States men’s national football team lost its last match in Group D to Türkiye 3-2, its country was dealt a heavy blow with the goal scored by Kaan Ayhan in the last shot of the match.

The only, more important caveat: This match never affected the United States’ chances of winning the FIFA World Cup.

Yes, Team USA was trying to build momentum heading into next week’s round of 32 and even make history for the country by becoming the first team to win three World Cup games. Instead, there’s mild heartbreak in Los Angeles.

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Meanwhile, Turkey, which has had a lackluster tournament, will return home on a high note as they celebrate a hard-fought win against a USMNT team that has made nine changes to head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI to keep its players fresh next week.

The crowd was shaking during the national anthem, but all of Inglewood, Calif., probably felt the moment when Auston Trusty headed in Sebastian Berhalter’s corner just three minutes into the match against Türkiye.

As the sold-out crowd at Los Angeles Stadium cheered, Trusty made a quick run towards the USA bench.

However, Türkiye was not getting out of this match easily, even though it had no chance of advancing in the tournament. Just seven minutes later, Real Madrid’s star player, 21-year-old Arda Güler, took advantage of the poor coverage in the United States to slot the ball over Matt Turner and into the net for Matt Freese, tying the game one goal at a time.

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It was a physical game in which the United States, seeking history as the only team to win three World Cup matches, showed that this game still means something. Meanwhile, Türkiye was playing for pride and it was visible on their faces.

Türkiye was the first to break the tie when Orkun Kökçü achieved a clean look right in front of the goal thanks to his solid passes around the USA penalty area. He hit it and the crowd went a little quiet.

Auston Trusty of the United States celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Turkey and the USA at Los Angeles Stadium on June 25, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Jared C. Tilton/FIFA)

The first half ended with Türkiye ahead, but if there’s one way to get the crowd going in the second half, it’s to see “Captain America” ​​finally return to the field. Christian Pulisic could only play 45 minutes in this World Cup due to his left calf injury and missed the entire match against Australia.

However, Pulisic said before the match that he felt 100% and that Pochettino was wise to give him time rather than letting him play until the round of 32. He made an immediate impact, forcing Türkiye back into the defensive zone, which ultimately led to the throw-in falling to Berhalter’s feet.

Berhalter fired a low shot and, in traffic, the ball sailed past the Türkiye goalkeeper to tie the game two apiece. Once again we were just three minutes into the half and all the momentum was back home.

Both teams did their best to break the tie and Pulisic had the best chance with a left-footed shot that sailed just wide of the left post. However, Ayhan’s heroic move to hit the ball in the back of the USA’s net ended just before the final whistle of the match.

Gio Reyna of the United States and Orkun Kökçü of Türkiye compete for the ball during the World Cup Group D soccer match between Turkey and the United States on Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

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The USMNT will play its 32nd round match on July 1 at 20:00 in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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