USA's Historic World Cup Journey Despite Loss to Turkiye

The USA made history in the FIFA World Cup by scoring multiple goals in all three group stage matches, despite a dramatic 3-2 loss to Turkiye. This marked a significant milestone for the team, as they finished top of Group D and set a record for their highest-scoring World Cup campaign. Sebastian Berhalter made history as the first player to score and assist in a World Cup match for the USA. The team will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, aiming to continue their impressive journey.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 26, 2026, 18:45 IST

USA Achieves Milestone in World Cup

In a remarkable turn of events, the USA, despite their defeat against Turkiye, made history during the ongoing FIFA World Cup. They became the first team to score multiple goals in each of their three group stage matches.

Turkiye, already out of the tournament, concluded their campaign with a 3-2 victory over the USA, thanks to a dramatic late goal from Kaan Ayhan in the 98th minute.

According to Opta Analyst, the USA began their World Cup journey with a 4-1 triumph over Paraguay, followed by a 2-0 win against Australia, and even in their loss to Turkiye, they managed to net two goals.

Finishing at the top of Group D with six points, the USA set a new record for their highest-scoring World Cup campaign, totaling eight goals, surpassing their previous records from 1930 and 2002.

Historic Achievements and Upcoming Matches

Sebastian Berhalter made history by becoming the first player since 1966 to score and assist in a FIFA World Cup match for the USA. This match also marked only the second time the USA lost a World Cup game after scoring first, the previous instance dating back to 1950 against Spain.

The USA is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 2 in the round of 32 at Santa Clara.

Match Highlights

Turkiye, having been eliminated, ended their World Cup journey on a high note by defeating the USA, who made nine changes to their lineup after securing qualification.

The match began with Auston Trusty scoring for the USA in the third minute from a corner delivered by Sebastian Berhalter.

Turkiye quickly equalized through Arda Guler in the 10th minute, marking his first World Cup goal and making him the youngest scorer for Turkiye in the tournament.

Orkun Kokcu then put Turkiye ahead in the 31st minute, assisted by Eren Elmali.

After halftime, the USA equalized again with a powerful shot from Berhalter in the 48th minute.

Despite efforts from head coach Mauricio Pochettino to secure a win by introducing senior players like Christian Pulisic, Turkiye clinched the victory with a last-minute goal from Kaan Ayhan.

Arda Guler was awarded Player of the Match for his exceptional performance.