Turkey beats US 3-2 with last-gasp goal as Americans look ahead to World Cup knockout stage

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has brought millions of international fans to cities across America and something unexpected is happening off the pitch. (CNN, WSB, MORE
Published: Jun. 26, 2026 at 12:21 AM EDT|Updated: 4 hours ago

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kaan Ayhan scored on the final kick of the match, and Turkey beat the United States 3-2 Thursday night for its only win of the World Cup.

United States' Christian Pulisic (10) and Turkey's Zeki Celik battle for the ball during the...
United States' Christian Pulisic (10) and Turkey's Zeki Celik battle for the ball during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)(Andre Penner | AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Auston Trusty scored in the third minute and Sebastian Berhalter got a tying goal early in the second half for the Americans, who had already won Group D with victories over Paraguay and Australia. Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s team will meet Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday.

Pochettino fielded nine new starters for this low-stakes game, but Christian Pulisic entered in the 58th minute. He hadn’t played since the first half of the Americans’ opener due to a calf injury.

Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü scored in the first half of a resilient performance by Turkey, which had already been eliminated.

Turkey won in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Can Uzun got the ball in space on the back post and pushed it past sprawling goalkeeper Matt Turner to Ayhan, who slid to knock it home.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/FIFA-World-Cup