USMNT Loses to Turkiye, Final Match Stats, Highlights & World Cup Group D Standings, Scenarios

The United States men's national team closed out the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 3-2 loss to Türkiye at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Thursday night.

Kaan Ayhan netted the winner in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time. It was a consolation goal in every sense of the phrase as Türkiye still finished last in Group D.

Group D

Team	Played	Points	Goal Differential
1. United States	3	6	4
2. Australia	3	4	0
3. Paraguay	3	4	-2
4. Turkey	3	3	-2

Not surprisingly, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino made a number of changes to his lineup. Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi were the only two players who started in the 2-0 win over Australia.

Because that result assured the United States of a first-place finish in the group, there was tangible nothing to gain in Thursday's finale. That allowed for Pochettino to shift his focus to the knockout stages and rest his biggest stars.

The coach couldn't have asked for a better start as left back Auston Trusty put the USMNT ahead in the third minute. Unmarked at the back post on a corner, Trusty did well to control the ball and set up a thunderous left-footed shot.

The Celtic defender immediately ran toward the bench in celebration.

The good vibes didn't last long as Arda Güler delivered the equalizer in the 10th minute. The way in which the Real Madrid attacker eluded Mark McKenzie encapsulated the gulf in talent with the United States throwing out a second-choice back line.

It was a similar story in the 31st minute as Türkiye carved the U.S. open and set up a goal for Orkun Kökçü.

Thankfully for the United States, the second half started much as the first did: a well-struck shot early into the frame eluded Türkiye goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır.

This time it was Sebastian Berhalter who rose to the occasion. Standing on the edge of the 18-yard box, he was in the perfect position as Türkiye tried to clear the ball from a U.S. throw-in.

The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder measured up his volley and slammed it inside the near post.

The U.S. wasn't content to cruise through the rest of the half and secure one point.

Pochettino brought Christian Pulisic on in the 58th minute, and the AC Milan star provided an almost immediate spark. He watched as the ball caromed off is leg and hit the post, while McKennie had a shot from close range blocked.

Pulisic then saw a left-footed shot go wide in the 77th minute.

Some fans will be disappointed with the result, but it was a positive showing given how many reserves Pochettino elevated to the starting XI. The USMNT wound up with 48 percent possession to 42 percent for Türkiye and had a 7-3 edge in shots on target.

The United States went into Thursday's match knowing that Bosnia and Herzegovina await in the round of 32.

Bosnia picked up four points in Group B, drawing with Canada in its opening game before losing 4-1 to Switzerland and beating Qatar to secure third place. Sergej Barbarez's squad is 62nd in the FIFA men's ranking.

All things considered, it's a favorable draw for the USMNT, but the 2026 World Cup has featured plenty of upsets.