Last-Kick Heartbreak: Türkiye Stun the USA in a Five-Goal Thriller

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — There was nothing left to play for and everything to feel. Deep into the eighth minute of stoppage time, with the United States seemingly content to see out a draw on a night that would not change their fate, Türkiye refused to read the script. Kaan Ayhan scored on the final kick of the match, and Türkiye beat the United States 3-2 for its only win of the World Cup. A dead rubber, on paper. A heart-stopping thriller, in reality.

The result dampened the mood of a buoyant home crowd at Los Angeles Stadium, but it could not undo what the Americans had already secured. The USA, already assured of a round-of-32 spot as Group D winners, were condemned to a first defeat of the tournament by Ayhan's 98th-minute goal. For Türkiye, eliminated before kickoff, it was a farewell soaked in defiance.

A rotated USA, and a blistering start

With qualification long since wrapped up, Mauricio Pochettino used the occasion to rest his key men and look at his fringe options. With top spot already assured, Pochettino shuffled his pack, making no fewer than nine changes to the side that had sealed qualification against Australia.

The reshuffled team could hardly have begun better. Auston Trusty scored in the third minute, the Americans' seventh goal of the tournament — tying their scoring record for any World Cup before knockout play had even begun. It was a milestone-laden strike in a milestone-laden campaign. With eight goals at the 2026 finals, this is already the highest-scoring World Cup campaign in USA history, surpassing the record of seven set in 1930 and equalled in 2002.

Güler turns the tide

If the early lead suggested a comfortable evening, Türkiye's 21-year-old jewel had other ideas. Arda Güler, the Real Madrid rising star, dragged his side level and then engineered their charge in front. Türkiye equalized in the 10th minute with an excellent two-man game involving Baris Alper Yilmaz and Güler, before Güler set up another in the 31st minute with a pass that led to a close-range finish. By the interval, the eliminated side had found the cutting edge that had eluded them all tournament, taking a 2-1 lead into the break.

The USA needed only four minutes of the second half to respond. Sebastian Berhalter tied it in the 49th minute, running onto a loose ball about 20 yards out for a vicious strike. At 2-2, the night belonged to whoever wanted it more.

Pulisic returns — and nearly wins it

The roar that greeted the introduction of the USA's talisman told its own story. Christian Pulisic replaced Tim Weah in the 58th minute for his first action since the first half of the opener, having been sidelined by a calf injury, and entered the 2-2 game to an enormous roar. He looked every inch the difference-maker. He created a chance with a dynamic run moments after coming on, then nearly scored in the 63rd minute, only for his quick shot to be knocked onto the post by goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakir before Brenden Aaronson botched the rebound.

For Pochettino, the cameo was the silver lining of a frustrating night. "He's a special player. He can come in and be that player to create something out of thin air. It was good to see him back on the pitch," the coach said, the forward's fitness mattering far more to the Americans' bigger picture than the scoreline ever could.

The cruel final twist

The USA were the better side for much of the closing stretch, but fate, and a depleted bench, intervened. The Americans were very good for much of the ensuing 35-40 minutes before Türkiye got a foothold, aided by Trusty's ankle injury after the USMNT had run out of substitutes. Forced to play on a man light, the rotated American back line finally cracked at the death. Türkiye won it in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Can Uzun got the ball in space at the back post and pushed it past the sprawling Matt Turner to Ayhan, who slid in to knock it home.

It was a blow that stung the pride more than the standings. The defeat was also a footnote in a record-shattering tournament. Trusty's early goal was the 173rd of this World Cup, breaking the record for the most combined goals in a single tournament set in Qatar four years ago — and doing it in four fewer matches.

A bittersweet farewell for Türkiye

For Vincenzo Montella's side, the win was a consolation, not a reprieve. Already eliminated, Türkiye ended a disappointing campaign on a high by edging out the group winners by the odd goal in five. Their players left North America vowing it was only the beginning. "We're not happy, but it was very important for us because we want to keep our name," one said. “We know we have a team with a lot of quality. For the next World Cups, we hope we can achieve more success. Our people back home deserve this.”

Onward to the knockouts

For the USA, the sting will fade quickly, because the night's only meaningful question — qualification — had been answered days earlier. Pochettino's team will meet Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, with Pulisic's return the most valuable takeaway of a defeat that ultimately costs them nothing but an unbeaten record.

There is work to do; the late collapse exposed how thin the margins become once the substitutions run dry and the legs tire. But the co-hosts march into the knockout phase as group winners, their best player fit again and a home crowd still firmly behind them. Türkiye stole the night with the last kick of the group stage. The USA, for all the late heartbreak, still have a tournament to chase.