The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) host Turkiye at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood, California, in a game to close out Group D of the 2026 World Cup. Simultaneously, Australia and Paraguay will play in Santa Clara at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in a game with much more on the line.
In fact, as the USA take on Turkiye, ranked No. 32 in the FIFA World Rankings, the final score will have absolutely no bearing on the final standings. Regardless of whether Mauricio Pochettino’s side win, tie, or lose, the Stars and Stripes will finish atop the group table and advance at the 2026 World Cup. In fact, because of the Group F final standings, the USA already found out it will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.
While the USMNT’s showdown against Turkiye has virtually nothing on the line—the U.S. are guaranteed to finish first and the Turks are already eliminated—the Americans are still hoping for a win to complete a perfect group stage.
What happens if USA win vs. Turkiye?
The United States will close out the group stage of the 2026 World Cup in perfect, unbeaten fashion with a triumph over Turkiye in Los Angeles. Moreover, they would send a message to the rest of the tournament by becoming the second team to go three-for-three and amass nine points in the first round. For the time being, only Mexico have accomplished such a feat.
Antonee Robinson of the USMNT.
Of course, those points will have no effect once the knockout stage gets underway, but they will certainly build confidence for the co-host nation, who are guaranteed to play every game on home soil—a benefit neither Mexico nor Canada will enjoy.
As for the Crescent Stars, they would complete an abysmal tournament by finishing dead last in the table with no points and three straight losses. However, Turkiye are guaranteed to finish last regardless of how they fare against the USMNT.
What happens if USA and Turkiye tie?
If the game between USA and Turkiye ends in a stalemate, the Stars and Stripes will finish first in Group D with seven points out of the nine possible. The USMNT would still finish the group stage undefeated, but it may come at a cost momentum-wise.
As for Turkiye, everything would stay the same. They would finish in last place, and a draw against an American side resting its starters — Christian Pulisic isn’t starting today — would be nothing for the Crescent Stars to go out and paint the town red about.
What happens if USA lose vs. Turkiye?
In the event the USA fall to Turkiye, they will see their unbeaten run come to an end at the 2026 World Cup. Many may argue it could be a perfectly timed wake-up call for the Stars and Stripes. Pochettino’s team would still finish atop its group with six points—the U.S. hold the tiebreaking advantage over both Australia and Paraguay.
A loss could serve as a reminder for the USMNT not to rest on its laurels. It may turn out to be a rendition of Paul Revere’s midnight ride, warning the USA about the battles to come in the 2026 World Cup knockout stage.
As for Turkiye, a win would be a slight bright spot to end the tournament on, but nothing to go back to Anatolia and tell stories about. Turkiye would still finish dead last in Group D, even if they end level on points with either Australia or Paraguay, because both countries prevailed in the head-to-head matchups against the Crescent Stars.
