Turkey Concludes Its World Cup Journey with a Win Against the United States

The Turkish national team achieved its first victory in the 2026 World Cup after an exciting win over the United States with a score of 3-2, in the third and final match of the group stage, held at SoFi Stadium in California.

The encounter came after both teams' fates were decided; Turkey had officially exited the tournament following losses to Australia and Paraguay, while the United States secured advancement to the next round with two wins against Paraguay and Australia.

The match ignited from the start, with the American team opening the scoring very early in the third minute through Auston Trusty, giving the hosts an early advantage.

However, the Turkish response did not take long. Arda Güler restored balance for Turkey in the 11th minute, before Orkun Kökçü gave Turkey the lead in the 31st minute. Two goals in less than half an hour turned the tables, ending the first half with Turkey leading 2-1.

As the second half began, the Americans managed to come back through Sebastian Berhalter, who scored the equalizer in the 49th minute, bringing the match back to square one.

The excitement peaked in stoppage time, and just as the match seemed headed for a draw, Can Ayhan snatched a dramatic winning goal for Turkey in the 98th minute, giving his team three valuable points and sealing the match with a 3-2 victory.

The win raised Turkey's tally to three points in the fourth and last place, but it was a significant moral victory, marking their first participation since the 2002 World Cup. Meanwhile, the United States' tally remained at 6 points in first place, having already qualified before this round.