Kaan Ayhan slid in at the back post in the 98th minute, poked the ball home, and SoFi Stadium went from a Hollywood party into stunned silence in about three seconds. Turkey, a team that had taken 62 shots across their first two games without scoring once, a team that was already eliminated, a team playing for absolutely nothing, beat the United States 3-2 in a match that meant nothing for the group standings and everything for everyone who watched it.
Brad Pitt and Edward Norton were in the stands. Paris Hilton brought her kids in matching Adidas. Will Ferrell was eating a hot dog wrapped in foil that he had been saving. Leonardo DiCaprio was hiding behind his beer bottle trying not to be recognised. And somehow, despite all of that, the football was the most dramatic thing in the building all evening.
How the first half actually unfolded
The USA scored after 134 seconds. Sebastian Berhalter whipped a corner to the back post, Auston Trusty towered above the Turkish defence and slammed a header home, the second-fastest World Cup goal in USMNT history, and for about eight minutes it looked like Pochettino’s rotated lineup was going to make this completely comfortable. Then Arda Güler happened.
Turkey‘s 21-year-old Real Madrid midfielder had been one of the most disappointing players of the tournament across the first two games, forcing shots from positions he had no business shooting from, abandoning the visionary playmaking that makes him genuinely special. Against a rotated USA backline, freed from the pressure of needing a result, he looked like a completely different player. Barış Alper Yılmaz combined with him in the 10th minute and Güler slotted a left-footed finish into the centre of the goal past Matt Turner to make it 1-1 instantly.
The USA had a goal disallowed for offside with Mark McKenzie the recipient, which would have made it 2-1 and probably changed the entire complexion of the evening. Instead, 31 minutes in, Güler turned creator, slipping a precise ball into the box, the play pinballed to Barış Yılmaz who turned in from close range, and Turkey led 2-1 against a World Cup co-host team that had won their first two games by a combined scoreline of 6-1.
Berhalter's moment and Pulisic's return
The second half opened with the most unexpected equaliser of the tournament. A loose ball fell to Sebastian Berhalter roughly 20 yards from goal straight after the restart, and the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder drove a low rocket through a crowded penalty area, skipping right under a jumping Weston McKennie in the process, into the bottom left corner to make it 2-2.
For a player who had been questioned as an adequate replacement for the injured Cristian Roldan in the holding midfield role, it was as emphatic an answer as he could have delivered.
The 58th minute produced the biggest roar of the evening, bigger than any of the goals, when Christian Pulisic came on to replace Timothy Weah. Pulisic had been absent since suffering a calf injury in the first half of the Paraguay game, and the entire stadium rose as he entered the pitch.
He was immediately sharp, slicing runs down the left, dragging the Turkish defence out of shape, looking like a player who had been training properly rather than one nursing his way back to fitness. In the 64th minute he struck the post with a quick effort that Ugurcan Cakir pushed wide brilliantly. The rebound fell directly to Brenden Aaronson in front of an open goal, and Aaronson, inexplicably, put it wide. The miss that will haunt him for weeks.
The 98th minute and what it means
Eight minutes of stoppage time. Turkey pressing for a winner with nothing to gain from it except pride. Güler, who had been the best player on the pitch all evening, nutmegged Pulisic to create space on the right, a moment that will be replayed extensively ahead of the knockout rounds. Can Uzun picked up the ball at the back post, slipped a pass across the face of goal, and Kaan Ayhan, who had come on as a substitute just ten minutes earlier, slid in and poked it past Turner with the absolute final kick of the match.
Turkey won 3-2. They are still eliminated. It changes nothing about Group D standings. But it also broke the USA’s unbeaten run at this tournament, exposed some genuine defensive vulnerability in a rotated backline, and sent Pochettino’s side into the Round of 32 against Bosnia-Herzegovina with a defeat sitting on their record rather than the clean sweep that had seemed inevitable.
Whether that matters depends entirely on how you process tournament momentum. The USA’s key starters were rested precisely to be sharp for Bosnia. Pulisic looked excellent in his cameo and clearly has his fitness back. The yellow card accumulation problem was managed, Adams, Richards, Robinson and Balogun all avoided bookings and will be available. In that sense, the primary objectives of the evening were achieved regardless of the scoreline.
The bigger concern is the depth beyond the first XI. Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson at centre-back were shaky throughout. Weah was disappointing before being substituted. Aaronson‘s miss from the open goal is the kind of thing that follows a player through a tournament. Pepi up front looked tired and disconnected from the play around him. These are players who will need to contribute from the bench in the knockout rounds, and the Turkey performance raised questions about whether they are ready to do that.
What Turkey showed and what it means for the tournament
The conversation around Turkey’s campaign has been dominated by those 62 shots and zero goals across the first two games, and while that statistic is genuinely damning, this performance against the USA offered a very different picture.
Freed from the low-block opponents who had neutralised their creative players, playing with nothing to lose against a rotated side that came out and attacked rather than sitting deep, Turkey looked like a team with genuine quality.
Güler specifically, one goal, one assist, completely controlling the tempo of the game in the second half, showed exactly what he is capable of when the pressure and restriction lifts. That he produced this performance in the wrong game, against the wrong opponent, at the wrong time, is the tragedy of Turkey’s World Cup.
Vincenzo Montella is still a coaching appointment that makes very little sense given what happened against Australia and Paraguay, but the players deserved this result as a parting moment of dignity.
The group picture and what comes next for USA and Turkey
USA finish Group D top with six points from three games, a goal difference of plus four, and a Round of 32 date against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara on Wednesday July 1.
Bosnia are a very different proposition from Paraguay and Australia, tall, physical, capable of parking a deep defensive block, and with Eden Dzeko’s experience and intelligence to call on even at 40. The USA’s first-choice lineup is considerably stronger than what took the field against Turkey, and the seven days between this result and the Bosnia game gives Pochettino exactly the preparation window he needed.
The defeat stings in the moment. The 98th-minute nature of it, the Aaronson miss, Güler nutmegging Pulisic, these are the images that dominate the post-match conversation. But strip all of that away and the USA got what they needed from this tournament slot: key players protected from suspensions, Pulisic’s fitness confirmed and building ahead of the knockout rounds, the squad depth tested and its limitations clearly identified so Pochettino knows exactly what he is working with going forward.
Turkey head home with one win, their first goals of the tournament, ironically, and a performance that will be replayed as evidence of what might have been with better coaching decisions across the first two games. The talent was clearly there. The tournament, for them, was not.
Celebrities spotted at USA vs Turkey, SoFi Stadium
Brad Pitt — USA jersey, white pants and bucket hat, seated next to Fight Club co-star Edward Norton sharing beers throughout the match.
Edward Norton — Fight Club reunion complete. Watched the entire match next to Pitt in what was easily the most 1999 moment of the 2026 World Cup.
Leonardo DiCaprio — Attended under a baseball cap that was fooling nobody, spent most of the match hiding behind his beer bottle as the stadium camera refused to leave him alone.
Will Ferrell — Sat in the general stands, wore a USA jersey with a sun visor promoting his Netflix production, produced a pre-wrapped hot dog from his pocket at some point.
Paris Hilton — Attended with husband Carter Reum and their children Phoenix and London in matching Adidas red-white-and-blue family outfits. Carried the match ball out ahead of kickoff after attending all three USA group games.
Jessica Alba — All-black outfit, spotted taking selfies with daughters Honor and Haven and two friends they brought to the game.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union — Basketball royalty in attendance, Wade representing multiple generations of Miami Heat excellence.
Scottie Pippen — Chicago Bulls icon showed up for the match featuring the USA’s second string, which felt perfectly appropriate for the man who spent a career as the greatest second option in sport.
James Cameron — The Titanic and Avatar director took a break from submarine research to attend.
Keegan-Michael Key — Wore a USA jersey, took the straightforward patriotic approach.
Kelly Rowland — Destiny’s Child alum, casual and classic look for the LA match.
Lance Bass — NSYNC’s Lance Bass opted for a sporty collared shirt and jeans.
Alison Brie and Dave Franco — Husband and wife attended together alongside Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
Joey King — Went with a Turkey jersey over a black miniskirt, representing the opposing side at SoFi.
Owen Wilson — The Telemundo World Cup coverage co-star, who had clearly taken his promotional duties very seriously by actually attending every match.
Ashton Kutcher — Present among a crowd so dense with romantic comedy stars they were starting to blend together.
Usha Vance — Second Lady of the United States provided White House representation with President Trump continuing to keep his distance from the tournament he spent months enthusiastically promoting.
Malin Akerman — The Hunting Wives star in World Cup 2026 merchandise.
Jaime Camil — Mexican actor arrived in the Jorge Campos goalkeeper jersey with the iconic zigzag pattern, the most inspired outfit choice of the evening.
Blake Snell — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher made it across from Inglewood for the evening fixture.
Matthew Stafford — The LA Rams quarterback at home at SoFi, watching Sebastian Berhalter get roughed up in midfield without the benefit of any protective padding.
Frequently Asked Questions
The United States lost 3-2 to Turkey in their final Group D match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Kaan Ayhan scored a 98th-minute winner to complete a dramatic comeback for Turkey at SoFi Stadium.
For the USA, Auston Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter scored. For Turkey, Arda Güler scored once, Barış Alper Yılmaz added another, and Kaan Ayhan netted the stoppage-time winner.
Yes, the USA still qualified for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 despite the loss, as they had already secured enough points to top Group D before this match.
Kaan Ayhan scored in the 98th minute to give Turkey a 3-2 win over the United States, finishing a dramatic Group D clash at SoFi Stadium.
The result did not change Group D outcomes, as the United States still finished top and advanced to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Turkey were already eliminated before kickoff.
Amar Pal Singh Bhalla is a sports writer covering cricket, football and tennis.
Based in India, he has followed the game for the last few years and writes
match analysis, previews and features for Beyond The Score
