USMNT ends World Cup group stage with last-second loss to Turkiye

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The United States concluded group play at the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic 3-2 loss to already-eliminated Turkiye on Thursday.

Kaan Ayhan scored a 98th-minute winner for Turkiye to hand the U.S. its first defeat of the tournament.

The Americans still finished atop Group D with six points from three matches. They’ll now play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. That contest is slated for July 1 at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (8 p.m. ET).

The U.S. had already locked up first place in Group D going into Thursday’s game in Los Angeles, and head coach Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to his starting lineup as a result.

Auston Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter, two of the players inserted into the XI, scored the goals for the USMNT. Those tallies, in the 3rd and 49th minutes, respectively, looked like they’d be enough for the U.S. to earn a draw before Ayhan bundled the ball home in the closing seconds.

Star forward Christian Pulisic, who missed his team’s win over Australia with a calf injury, returned against Turkiye, coming off the bench in the second half.

He looked lively and explosive in possession, and came close to finding the net himself late in the game.

“He’s a special player, no doubt he adds something to the group,” Weston McKennie said of Pulisic, according to Sam Borden of ESPN. “Whenever the game might look dry or the game isn’t creative, he can come in and be that player to create something out of thin air.

“It was good to see him back on the pitch and hopefully we can see him again in San Francisco.”

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