U.S. Soccer Team Enters World Cup Match with Turkey, Already Secures Group Win

Folarin Balogun celebrated with Weston McKennie after scoring his team’s second goal during their World Cup match against Paraguay in Inglewood, California. The U.S. secured victories over both Paraguay and Australia, ensuring they won their group, regardless of the outcome against Turkey. The U.S. will advance to the knockout round with a favorable position.

Historically, the U.S. men’s soccer team has not won more than two matches in a single World Cup. Beating Turkey on Thursday would set a new team record. Defender Mark McKenzie emphasized the team’s determination to maintain their momentum, stating, “We want to end the group stage the right way and continue to build off of the momentum we’ve been creating.”

The team’s placement in the knockout round is unaffected by the match with Turkey. This scenario allows the U.S. to rest players who have a yellow card, such as defenders Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards, midfielder Tyler Adams, and striker Folarin Balogun. Acquiring another yellow card would lead to a suspension for these players in the Round of 32. After the group stage, any single yellow cards will be cleared.

Christian Pulisic might rejoin the lineup for the Turkey game after missing the match against Australia due to a minor calf injury. Turkey entered the World Cup with high hopes, featuring young stars like Arda Güler from Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz from Juventus. They were considered potential contenders. However, back-to-back losses to the U.S. and Paraguay led to their elimination. Turkey’s Kenan Yildiz acknowledged the disappointment and promised to play with pride against the U.S.

The U.S. and Turkey last met in a 2025 international friendly, which Turkey won 2-1. The U.S. played without key players like Pulisic, Robinson, Balogun, and McKennie in that matchup. Reflecting on the past, Chris Richards mentioned the young squad’s effort, stating, “I don’t think the result necessarily reflected how we played, but whoever’s on the field, I know we’re going to go out there and give 110 percent.”