The türkiye vs usa clash delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. Türkiye defeated the United States 3-2 at Los Angeles Stadium, with substitute Kaan Ayhan scoring the winner deep into stoppage time.
USA struck first through Auston Trusty, but Arda Güler and Barış Alper Yılmaz turned the match around before halftime. Sebastian Berhalter equalized shortly after the restart, only for Ayhan to score in the 98th minute and give Türkiye a memorable victory. FIFA
türkiye vs usa Final Score
The match took place on June 25 local time in California, finishing early on June 26 UTC. It was the final Group D fixture for both teams.
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | FIFA World Cup 2026 |
| Stage | Group D |
| Final Score | Türkiye 3-2 USA |
| Venue | Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California |
| Türkiye Scorers | Arda Güler 10′, Barış Alper Yılmaz 31′, Kaan Ayhan 90+8′ |
| USA Scorers | Auston Trusty 3′, Sebastian Berhalter 49′ |
The result did not prevent the United States from winning Group D. USA had already secured qualification and first place before kickoff, while Türkiye had already been eliminated after defeats against Australia and Paraguay. U.S. Soccer
How Türkiye Beat USA 3-2
The final score tells only part of the story. USA generated more shots and spent slightly more time on the ball, but Türkiye were far more clinical when their biggest opportunities arrived.
Auston Trusty Gives USA a Dream Start
USA needed just three minutes to open the scoring.
Auston Trusty converted after a Sebastian Berhalter delivery, putting the Americans 1-0 ahead. His strike came after approximately two minutes and 13 seconds, making it the second-fastest World Cup goal in USMNT history behind Clint Dempsey’s goal against Ghana in 2014. Opta Analyst
The early goal suggested the United States might control the match, especially considering Türkiye’s struggles in their opening two group games.
That expectation quickly disappeared.
Arda Güler Responds for Türkiye
Türkiye equalized in the 10th minute through Arda Güler.
Barış Alper Yılmaz was involved in creating the opportunity, and Güler finished to make it 1-1.
The goal carried extra significance. Türkiye had failed to score from 62 attempts across their first two World Cup matches before Güler finally broke through. At 21 years and 120 days, he also became Türkiye’s youngest World Cup goalscorer. Opta Analyst
For Türkiye, it was the moment that transformed the match.
Instead of allowing the early USA goal to dictate proceedings, Vincenzo Montella’s team began attacking with much greater confidence.
Barış Alper Yılmaz Completes the Turnaround
Türkiye took the lead in the 31st minute.
Barış Alper Yılmaz, who had already contributed to Güler’s equalizer, scored to make it 2-1. Orkun Kökçü provided the assist. GSA Website
Türkiye therefore went from trailing after three minutes to leading before halftime.
It was a remarkable change considering the team had entered the match without a goal in the tournament.
Sebastian Berhalter Brings USA Back
USA responded almost immediately after halftime.
Sebastian Berhalter scored in the 49th minute, leveling the match at 2-2. After assisting Trusty’s opener, Berhalter had now directly contributed to both American goals. U.S. Soccer
The goal reflected a much stronger opening to the second half from Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Between halftime and the second-half hydration break, USA held 59% possession and outshot Türkiye 7-0, according to U.S. Soccer’s match updates. U.S. Soccer
USA continued to push forward, but the decisive moment ultimately belonged to Türkiye.
Kaan Ayhan Scores the Dramatic Winner
Kaan Ayhan entered the match as a substitute for Orkun Kökçü in the 88th minute.
Only minutes later, he became the match winner.
In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Ayhan scored to make it Türkiye 3-2 USA. FIFA described it as a 98th-minute winner, and it proved to be essentially the final action of the match. FIFA
The timing made the goal particularly dramatic. USA had spent much of the second half applying pressure and appeared headed for a 2-2 draw.
Instead, Türkiye left the tournament with a victory over the host nation.
türkiye vs usa Match Stats
USA’s territorial advantage becomes clearer when looking at the numbers.
Opta recorded USA with 18 total attempts compared with Türkiye’s nine. The Americans also produced seven shots on target, while Türkiye managed three. Despite that difference, Türkiye generated higher-quality opportunities overall, winning the expected-goals battle 2.71 to 2.06. Opta Analyst
| Statistic | Türkiye | USA |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Total Shots | 9 | 18 |
| Shots on Target | 3 | 7 |
| Corners | 2 | 9 |
| Fouls | 13 | 13 |
| Yellow Cards | 0 | 1 |
| Expected Goals (Opta) | 2.71 | 2.06 |
Those numbers reveal the unusual nature of the game.
USA produced twice as many shots, but Türkiye scored with all three of their shots on target. The United States generated substantially more corners and attacking pressure without converting enough of those situations into goals. OddsCalendar
Why Did Türkiye Win Despite Fewer Shots?
Efficiency was the major difference.
Türkiye had already shown how quickly the momentum could change by scoring with their first two attempts after going goalless with 62 shots in their previous two tournament matches. Opta Analyst
Their attacks did not need to be frequent to be dangerous.
USA, meanwhile, reached promising areas more regularly but could not turn that volume into a third goal.
The contrast demonstrates why total shots alone can be misleading. Creating 18 attempts indicates pressure, but shot location, defensive positioning, finishing quality and decision-making determine whether that pressure becomes goals.
Arda Güler’s Impact Against USA
Arda Güler was one of Türkiye’s most influential players.
His 10th-minute equalizer changed the emotional direction of the contest. After conceding so early, Türkiye could easily have become increasingly cautious. Instead, Güler’s goal restored confidence and allowed the team to play more aggressively.
His performance was particularly significant because of his age and role within the squad.
The Real Madrid midfielder entered the tournament as one of Türkiye’s most anticipated players. UEFA highlighted him among the country’s key names alongside captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Kenan Yıldız and Kerem Aktürkoğlu. UEFA.com
Scoring Türkiye’s first goal of the tournament was therefore an appropriate breakthrough for one of the country’s brightest young talents.
Barış Alper Yılmaz’s Goal and Influence
Barış Alper Yılmaz played an equally important role.
He contributed to Güler’s equalizer before scoring Türkiye’s second goal himself in the 31st minute.
His direct running created problems for the American defense and helped Türkiye attack more effectively without requiring long periods of possession.
That made him especially valuable in a match where USA controlled more of the attacking volume.
Türkiye needed players capable of turning transitions and isolated attacking situations into genuine chances. Yılmaz provided exactly that.
Sebastian Berhalter’s Performance for USA
Although USA lost, Sebastian Berhalter emerged as one of its standout performers.
He supplied the ball that led to Trusty’s early opener and then scored the equalizer four minutes into the second half.
His influence gave the United States a way back into the contest when Türkiye appeared to have gained control.
Berhalter’s performance also illustrated the depth Pochettino was assessing. With the USA already assured of first place, the coach made nine changes from the lineup that had beaten Australia. FIFA
That context matters when evaluating the result.
It was still a World Cup match and an important victory for Türkiye, but it was not the same USA starting XI that had secured the team’s earlier success in the group.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USA Rotation
Pochettino had a strategic reason to rotate.
USA had already qualified for the knockout stage as Group D winner, so the Türkiye match offered an opportunity to rest important players and evaluate other squad members.
Only Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi remained from the starting lineup used against Australia, according to Opta’s match analysis. Opta Analyst
Christian Pulisic was among the players introduced from the bench, entering in the second half.
The approach reduced the physical burden on several key players before the knockout rounds, but nine changes inevitably affected familiarity and defensive coordination.
Türkiye exploited those moments effectively.
What the Match Meant for USA
The defeat did not derail the American World Cup campaign.
USA finished the group stage with six points and advanced as Group D winner. Their tournament therefore continued despite losing the final group match. U.S. Soccer
There were still valuable lessons.
USA showed that it could generate sustained attacking pressure even with a heavily rotated lineup. At the same time, conceding three goals exposed areas requiring attention, particularly defensive organization during transitions and decisive moments.
The Americans had more shots, more shots on target and more corners but still lost.
In knockout football, that lack of efficiency can end a tournament.
What the Victory Meant for Türkiye
For Türkiye, the situation was completely different.
The team entered the game already eliminated following a 2-0 defeat against Australia and a 1-0 loss to Paraguay. The 3-2 win over USA therefore could not rescue Türkiye’s World Cup campaign. UEFA.com
Türkiye finished fourth in Group D.
Even so, defeating the group winner offered a positive ending after a disappointing tournament.
The victory also showed what Türkiye’s attack was capable of when its chances finally started going in. Güler, Yılmaz and Ayhan provided three goals after the team had gone scoreless through its first two games.
Türkiye’s 2026 World Cup Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Australia vs Türkiye | Australia 2-0 Türkiye |
| Türkiye vs Paraguay | Türkiye 0-1 Paraguay |
| Türkiye vs USA | Türkiye 3-2 USA |
Türkiye therefore finished the group stage with one win and two defeats. UEFA.com
Türkiye vs USA Head-to-Head History
The 2026 World Cup encounter was not the first meeting between the national teams.
Their modern history includes friendlies, the FIFA Confederations Cup and now the FIFA World Cup.
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| June 26, 2026 | FIFA World Cup | Türkiye 3-2 USA |
| June 7, 2025 | International Friendly | USA 1-2 Türkiye |
| June 1, 2014 | International Friendly | USA 2-1 Türkiye |
| May 29, 2010 | International Friendly | USA 2-1 Türkiye |
| June 19, 2003 | Confederations Cup | Türkiye 2-1 USA |
| September 4, 1991 | International Friendly | Türkiye 1-1 USA |
Across these six listed senior meetings, Türkiye have three victories, USA have two, and one match ended in a draw. Soccerbase
Interestingly, the recent momentum has shifted toward Türkiye.
Türkiye defeated USA 2-1 in a June 2025 friendly before following that result with the 3-2 World Cup victory in 2026.
How the 2026 Match Compared With the 2025 Meeting
The teams had met only about a year before their World Cup encounter.
Türkiye won that June 7, 2025 friendly 2-1. Jack McGlynn scored for USA in the opening minute, but Arda Güler equalized in the 24th minute before Kerem Aktürkoğlu put Türkiye ahead three minutes later. Türkiye Source
There is an interesting similarity between the two games.
In both matches, USA scored very early before Türkiye responded and ultimately won.
That pattern emphasizes Türkiye’s ability to recover rather than panic after conceding against the Americans.
Key Takeaways From türkiye vs usa
The 3-2 scoreline made the match entertaining, but several deeper points stand out.
Türkiye were clinical. They had only nine shots compared with USA’s 18 but converted their most important opportunities.
Arda Güler made history. His equalizer made him Türkiye’s youngest World Cup goalscorer at 21 years and 120 days. Opta Analyst
Sebastian Berhalter made a major impact. He contributed to both American goals, scoring one and helping create the other.
USA’s rotation mattered. Pochettino made nine starting changes with first place in Group D already secured. FIFA
Kaan Ayhan provided the defining moment. Introduced late in the game, he scored in the 98th minute to decide the contest.
Most importantly, the türkiye vs usa World Cup meeting demonstrated how quickly football can punish inefficient finishing. USA controlled many of the conventional attacking statistics, yet Türkiye created enough high-quality moments to win 3-2.
For USA, the defeat was a warning before the knockout rounds rather than the end of the campaign. For Türkiye, it was a memorable final statement after elimination—a dramatic victory secured by Ayhan with virtually the last kick of the match.