With the World Cup 2026 group stage reaching its climax, the co-hosts USA face Turkey in a dead-rubber clash at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night. Already confirmed as Group D winners, Pochettino’s side will look to finish their campaign with a third consecutive victory, while Turkey—already eliminated—seek pride in their final match of the tournament.
When and where to watch Turkey v USA
The match kicks off at 5pm PT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET on Thursday 25 June at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. For UK viewers, coverage begins at 3am BST on Friday 26 June on ITV1 and ITVX, with STV and STV Player carrying the game in Scotland. In the US, Fox and Telemundo will provide live coverage.
What’s at stake in Group D
USA have already secured top spot in Group D after wins over Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), while Turkey lost their opener 2-0 to Australia before falling 1-0 to a 10-man Paraguay. The Americans’ head-to-head record over the eliminated teams sealed their advancement, leaving little suspense over the standings but plenty of questions about squad rotation and fitness.
Team news and tactical considerations
Christian Pulisic remains a doubt for the USA after being withdrawn at half-time in their opening win and missing the second match entirely due to a hamstring injury. Mauricio Pochettino admitted it was “impossible” for him to play against Australia and stressed the need for the full squad to stay fresh. Turkey, meanwhile, appear physically prepared, with no major fitness concerns reported.
Pochettino’s predicted line-up features Sean Freese in goal, flanked by Sergiño Dest, Walker Zimmerman, Tim Ream, and Antonee Robinson in defence. Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams anchor midfield, supported by Caden Clark and Folarin Balogun up front. Turkey’s XI is expected to include Mert Cakir; Zeki Celik, Merih Demiral, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, and Ferdi Kadioglu in defence, with Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Orkun Kökçü in midfield.
What this means for the tournament
While the result holds no bearing on the group standings, it offers the USA a chance to blood young players and test alternatives to their first-choice XI. For Turkey, it’s a final opportunity to salvage momentum ahead of the knockout rounds. Pochettino’s focus will be on squad management, but any unexpected contributions from fringe players could still shape perceptions ahead of the next stage.
With the group phase drawing to a close, Thursday’s match serves as a low-stakes but high-interest curtain-raiser before the knockout battles intensify. For neutrals, it’s a final glimpse of two teams whose paths diverge sharply after this fixture.
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