Türkiye defeated the United States 3-2 at Los Angeles Stadium in their final Group D match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Kaan Ayhan secured the victory with a 98th-minute stoppage-time goal. The result ends the American bid for a perfect nine-point group stage finish, though head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s squad officially advances to the Round of 32 as group winners.
Auston Trusty opened the scoring for the United States in the third minute. Türkiye responded quickly, leveling the match with a 10th-minute strike from Arda Güler. Barış Alper Yılmaz then put Türkiye ahead 2-1 in the 31st minute. Sebastian Berhalter equalized for the Americans in the 49th minute, finding the net early in the second half.
Pochettino deployed a heavily rotated lineup after securing knockout progression with a 2-0 start to the tournament. Christian Pulisic entered the match off the bench in the 57th minute, replacing Timothy Weah, according to the match timeline from ESPN.
Entering the contest, Türkiye had already been eliminated from knockout contention and failed to score in their prior tournament fixtures. Ayhan’s late strike delivered the nation’s first goals and only victory of the competition. Despite the loss, the USMNT moves forward as Group D leaders.