Kaan Ayhan’s shot in the dying seconds of stoppage time resulted in Turkey’s only win in the 2026 World Cup tournament, which saw the team lose its first two matches with zero goals.
Turkey was already eliminated and was just playing for pride.
The United States, which secured first place in Group D with two wins and already advanced to the knockout round, tested its depth with a lineup of nine new starters, including goalkeeper Matt Turner, the starter in the 2022 World Cup.
The Americans scored first, off a free kick in Turkey’s end in the third minute. The home crowd in Los Angeles Stadium erupted.
Sebastian Berhalter’s cross from the left side found the unmarked Auston Trusty on the right side of the six-yard box. Trusty took a quick touch and then rifled a hard, low shot on the right side past Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir. It was the second-fastest goal in U.S. men’s soccer World Cup history.
Turkey responded quickly. In the 10th minute, attacking right midfielder Arda Guler collected a pass from teammate Baris Alper Yilmaz and, with pace, beat American defender Mark McKenzie before rifling the shot past Turner. McKenzie was out of position during that sequence.
Turkey capitalized on another defensive mistake 2o minutes later, when right back Joe Scally didn’t close down space quickly enough on an overlapping run. Eren Elmali received the ball behind Scally, made a speedy short run to the touch line, and then cut the ball back into the box into the path of Orkun Kokcu, who blasted the ball in for his country’s second goal.
The Americans equalized early in the second half, following a long throw-in from the left side. Berhalter, the son of former U.S. coach and national team player Greg Berhalter, pounced on a loose ball at the top of Turkey’s penalty box, sending a low, hard shot to the back of the net.
U.S. star player Christian Pulisic, who sat out against Australia due to an ankle injury, was subbed in early in the second half. He looked dangerous right away, making wide runs into pockets of space on both wings. His curving shot from right to left in the 77th minute was just wide.
The United States controlled the play late in the game, but Turkey stole the game in the 98th minute, on a set piece. American defenders overloaded the left side, leaving Kaan Ayhan unmarked on the right. A loose ball found him, and he easily put it behind Turner.
This was Turkey’s third World Cup appearance. The team finished third in the tournament in 2002 but didn’t qualify again until this year. It was held scoreless against Paraguay and Australia despite registering 62 shots between the two matches.
Turkey’s coach said his players displayed character in battling so hard in their final match, even though they were already eliminated from the round of 32.
“I can say we can go back home with our chin up,” he said through a FIFA interpreter during the post-game press conference. “Tonight’s match meant so much more than 1,000 victories.”
The U.S. team has almost a week to prepare for its knockout stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in San Francisco on July 1.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino said he believes his squad, despite the loss, competed well. He said this match was an important opportunity for more players to get minutes and become more prepared to step in during the elimination rounds if needed.
“I feel very positive about the future,” he said during the post-game press conference. “It’s about getting to the next match in the very best condition.”
