Türkiye stuns United States with stoppage-time winner at World Cup

Kaan Ayhan ended the match in the 98th minute, pouncing on a loose ball and driving a right-footed finish into the net to give Türkiye a 3-2 victory over the United States in Inglewood, California. It was the last touch of the night at Los Angeles Stadium, also known as SoFi Stadium, and it capped a five-goal game that turned on one late defensive lapse.

The United States struck first when Auston Trusty scored in the third minute, but Türkiye answered quickly through Arda Güler in the 10th minute and went ahead before halftime on a Barış Yılmaz goal in the 31st. Sebastián Berhalter pulled the Americans level in the 49th minute, and from there the match became a test of who would manage the closing stretch better. Türkiye stayed organized and kept its edge. The United States did not close the door.

The result carried little weight in the table, but the way it arrived mattered. The United States had already secured first place in Group D and a berth in the round of 32, while Türkiye had already been eliminated and was chasing its only win of the tournament. Mauricio Pochettino used the match to rotate heavily, leaving Christian Pulisic and several other regular starters out of the initial lineup, and the reshuffled side never fully settled after Berhalter’s equalizer.

For Türkiye, Ayhan’s goal delivered a rare bright spot in a short World Cup run and a finish that will outlast the group standings. For the United States, conceding in stoppage time after twice leading or drawing the match exposed a late-game problem that will draw more scrutiny than the first-place finish in Group D, where Australia took second and Paraguay finished third.