LOS ANGELES — The United States men's national soccer team will face Türkiye on Thursday in its final Group D match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, entering the contest with a place in the Round of 32 already secured after victories over Paraguay and Australia, according to FIFA and team officials.
The match at Los Angeles Stadium concludes the group-stage campaign for both teams. The United States has already clinched first place in Group D and cannot be displaced regardless of the result, while Türkiye has been eliminated from contention following defeats in its first two matches, tournament organizers and team officials said.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said his squad remained focused despite having already advanced. Players and coaching staff have emphasized maintaining momentum ahead of the knockout rounds rather than treating the fixture as a formality. According to team officials, training sessions this week continued at full intensity as preparations shifted toward the next phase of the tournament.
The United States opened the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay before defeating Australia 2-0, results that guaranteed advancement and secured the top spot in the group. Forward Christian Pulisic missed the Australia match because of injury concerns, and officials have not provided detailed information regarding his availability for Thursday's game.
“This is the World Cup,” defender Max Arfsten told reporters, according to media reports. “We have to keep our standards high every day.”
Thursday's meeting will be the first World Cup match between the United States and Türkiye. The teams met in a friendly in 2025, when Türkiye won 2-1, according to tournament records and media reports.
Under the expanded 48-team tournament format, the United States, as Group D winner, will play a third-place finisher from another group in the Round of 32. FIFA's tournament schedule lists the Americans' knockout match for July 1 at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The identity of the opponent remains undetermined because group-stage matches elsewhere in the tournament are still being completed.
Tournament organizers said several teams remain mathematically eligible to face the United States in the Round of 32. Media projections have identified multiple possibilities, though FIFA has not confirmed a matchup and officials said details remain unclear until the group stage concludes.
As of Thursday, the United States had already secured advancement to the knockout stage, while Türkiye was playing its final match of the tournament. The Round of 32 field will be finalized after the remaining group-stage fixtures are completed, FIFA said.
