In Inglewood, California, the U.S. men’s national soccer team celebrated an impressive win over Paraguay, followed by a victory against Australia in their FIFA World Cup group. These wins have secured the U.S. team’s advancement to the knockout round, no matter the result of their final group match against Turkey on Thursday.
Defender Mark McKenzie expressed the team’s eagerness to finish the group stage on a high note, stating, “We want to end it the right way. We want to end it the way we came into it and continue to build off of the momentum that we’ve been creating.” Despite already winning the group, the U.S. is aiming for a third victory, which would mark a historic achievement for the team.
The outcome of the match against Turkey won’t influence the U.S. team’s position in the knockout stage, allowing them to rest key players who have one yellow card. If defenders Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards, midfielder Tyler Adams, or forward Folarin Balogun receive another yellow card, they risk suspension for the Round of 32.
Christian Pulisic, who missed the match against Australia due to a minor calf injury, might also see some playtime during the game against Turkey.
Turkey, initially seen as a promising team due to young talents like Arda Güler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus, was eliminated after losing to Paraguay and witnessing the U.S. defeat Australia. Yildiz expressed apologies and a commitment to performing well against the U.S.: “Hopefully for the next game we can make a good result and go out with pride.”
The last encounter between the U.S. and Turkey was in an international friendly in June 2025, which Turkey won 2-1. However, several key U.S. players were absent for that match. Chris Richards, reflecting on past performance, emphasized the team’s determination: “Whoever’s on the field, I know we’re going to go out there and give 110 percent.”
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