Turkey vs USA: Last-Second Winner Ends Americans' Perfect Group Stage

Turkey vs USA ended in a dramatic 3-2 win for Turkey after a 98th-minute goal, but the Americans still advanced to the World Cup knockout stage as Group D winners. Having already secured qualification and top spot in Group D after two convincing victories, the USA rotated heavily for its final group-stage fixture before turning its attention to the knockout rounds.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to the starting lineup from the team that defeated Australia, giving several squad players their opportunity while protecting key members of the squad ahead of the Round of 32. The Americans made the perfect start when defender Auston Trusty headed home inside the opening minutes to give the hosts an early advantage.

Turkey responded before half-time as Arda Güler levelled the score before Barış Yılmaz completed the turnaround to give his side a 2-1 lead at the break. The United States fought back strongly after the restart, with Sebastian Berhalter scoring the equaliser early in the second half.

Christian Pulisic also returned from injury as a second-half substitute, making his first appearance since suffering a calf problem earlier in the tournament. The American captain nearly marked his comeback with a goal as both teams searched for a winner.

Just as the match appeared destined to end in a draw, Kaan Ayhan struck in the 98th minute with the final kick of the game to hand Turkey a memorable 3-2 victory.

USA Advances As Group D Winner

Despite the defeat, the United States comfortably finished top of Group D after opening the tournament with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay before defeating Australia 2-0 in Seattle to secure qualification with a game to spare. The loss ended the Americans’ hopes of completing a perfect group stage but had no impact on their progression to the knockout rounds.

Turkey, which had already been eliminated before the final group match, finished its campaign on a high by claiming an impressive victory over one of the tournament’s strongest teams.

Knockout Stage Awaits

For the United States, the result is unlikely to cause major concern. With qualification already secured, Pochettino used the match to rotate his squad, avoid unnecessary suspensions for players carrying yellow cards and reintegrate Pulisic ahead of the knockout phase.

The USA will now face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, while Turkey leaves the tournament with a morale-boosting victory that demonstrated its quality despite an early exit.