US men's team falls to Turkey 3-2, but still advancing to World Cup knockout round
The U.S. men's national team fell short to Turkey on Thursday night, 3-2, in their final match of the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, dashing their hopes for a historic third straight win.
However, the USMNT has already secured its spot in the round of 32 following back-to-back wins, including a 4-1 opener victory over Paraguay on June 12 and a 2-0 win over Australia on June 19 in Seattle.
Despite Thursday's loss, the U.S. men's team secured the top spot in Group D. Overall, it was USMNT's best ever finish in the group stage with 6 points from three matches.
Thursday's match, which took place before a packed crowd at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, was tied 2-2 for most of the second half before Kaan Ayhan scored a goal for Turkey in the 98th minute after a frantic scramble at the U.S. goal.
It was Turkey's only win at the World Cup.
The U.S. notched goals from Auston Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter.
The U.S. next plays Bosnia and Herzegovina -- who finished third in Group A with 4 points -- in the round of 32 on July 1 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The round of 32 is also known as the knockout round.
"I know they're gonna want to finish strong, so we just have to do our job," USMNT forward Tim Weah told ABC News ahead of the game, adding of the team's victory over Australia, "Getting that second goal was wonderful -- when you have a 2-0 lead over a quality team, it feels wonderful."
Below, read everything fans need to know ahead of the USMNT's match against Turkey.
What to know about U.S. men's soccer team, Christian Pulisic's status ahead of Turkey match
With coach Mauricio Pochettino at the helm, the 26-man squad had its sights set on bettering the team's two-game win streak -- a third win would have been a first for the American men in any World Cup -- with hopes of advancing beyond the knockout round.
"When you're able to score early, I think it gives you that chance, it buys you that time to really build into the game and continue to play with that freedom," USMNT defender Mark McKenzie told ABC News.
The U.S. Men's National Team automatically qualified for this year's World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada as the host nations.
"When the national anthem's playing, and you got [50,000], 60,000 people singing, I think that's something that we as players truly appreciate, and we use that as energy going into the games," McKenzie said of the team's home turf advantage.
The team's star attacker Christian Pulisic sat out the first two games of the group stages due to a left calf injury but told reporters earlier this week he's "feeling good" upon his return to full training and practice earlier this week, ESPN first reported.
"I joined the team the last couple days, and yeah, I'm hoping to play a part in [Thursday's match] for sure," Pulisic said.
While he's eager to get on the pitch, Pulisic said ahead of Thursday's game he was "probably not ready" for a full 90 minutes.
He said he's also discussing a minutes restriction with his coaches and medical staff, which would mean he has a strict set of time he would be allowed to play.
Two-time FIFA Women's World Cup winner Mia Hamm, who represented the U.S. in four World Cup tournaments, with a historic win on American soil in 1999, told ABC News she was attending Thursday's match to cheer on the men's team and related to Pulisic's desire to get in the game.
"There is no one who wants to be on that field more than he does," she said. "They're looking at round of 32, and they want Christian Pulisic on the field for that and to make sure that there are no questions about his health. The hardest part for him is having to answer those questions."
"In terms of the answers people want, he can't win. He just has to be confident in the decisions that he and the training staff and the coaching staff are making and just be ready for when he can get back on the field," she added.
How to watch the U.S. World Cup match
American fans watching from the U.S. can catch the action on Fox Sports.
ESPN live updates will also be available, with real-time match coverage.
ABC New's Jack Feely and Jack Moore contributed to this report.
