The USA men’s soccer team has been on a heater as one of the host countries of the 2026 World Cup. With a 2-0 win over Australia – the second win in the group stage – the Americans punched their ticket to the knockout stage. USA would either need Panama to win or draw Turkiye Friday night to win the group before its third game. If Turkiye wins, USA will need to win or draw its final game against them to win the group. Either way, Mauricio Pochettino’s team is headed to the knockout stage.
Here’s everything you need to know about USA’s final group stage match against Turkiye, including when the game is, where it’s being played and what’s at stake for the USMNT as they prepare for the knockout stage.
When does USA play Turkiye in the third Group D game?
USMNT will play their final group stage game against Turkiye on Thursday, June 25, at 10 p.m. ET. The game will be at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It’s the same venue USA’s World Cup journey started at with a resounding 4-1 win over Panama last week. The game will air on FOX.
What’s on the line for USMNT against Turkiye?
USA can win Group D with a win or draw on Thursday. They could win the group before then based on how the Panama and Turkiye game finishes. However, any points against Turkiye would solidify a Group D first-place finish.
Winning the group is important because you get an easier path in the knockout stage, which is a bracket format. Finishing second in the group typically means playing a highly-rated team more quickly.
What is the USA’s best World Cup finish?
The best finish for USMNT was in 1930 when the squad reached the semifinals. This is the U.S.’s 12th World Cup appearance and second straight after missing the 2018 World Cup. Since 2000, the USA has only made it as far as the Round of 16, which is the first knockout stage—the field has expanded to 48 teams this year, which would be the equivalent of reaching the Round of 32.
This is one of their strongest starts ever, scoring six goals in the first two matches, conceding just one goal and recording a shutout. This USMNT isn’t the same team Americans are used to supporting. This feels like the World Cup where they finally live up to the hype. Whether it’s the fact that the U.S. is one of the host countries or something else, Team USA is certainly putting a campaign together as one of the strongest in the field.
Will Christian Pulisic play vs. Turkiye?
Christian Pulisic has been nursing a calf injury, which kept him out of the second group stage match. He did play in the first match and recorded an assist, but he had to leave early against Paraguay. It makes sense for the US to rest him, especially for the third group stage game; they don’t need him in to advance. The USMNT has a week off before its third match, and the first knockout stage matches won’t begin until Sunday, June 29. The USA’s first match would be on July 1 if they top the group. He’ll have enough time off to recover and be ready for the knockout stage.
It is a good sign the U.S. can still look dominant without him. USMNT controlled possession and made the defensive plays to keep Australia off the scoreboard. Pulisic has gotten a lot of attention ahead of this World Cup, but the Americans showed even without him, they can be really good.
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