Team USA Suffers First World Cup Loss, Group Play Set to Wrap Up
Team USA wrapped up group play at the 2026
with its first defeat of the tournament Thursday night, falling 3-2 to Türkiye in a match that ultimately had little impact on the Americans’ tournament outlook.
Having already clinched first place in Group D before kickoff, head coach Mauricio Pochettino rotated much of his lineup, prioritizing player health ahead of the knockout stage.
The United States took an early lead when defender Auston Trusty scored in the opening minutes, but Türkiye answered with first-half goals from Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü to seize the advantage. Sebastian Berhalter equalized shortly after halftime, only for Kaan Ayhan to score the winner in stoppage time, giving Türkiye a 3-2 victory with the final kick of the match. Despite the loss, the Americans still finished atop Group D after opening the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay and a 2-0 win over Australia. Pochettino emphasized afterward that securing first place was the team’s primary objective and said the squad remains confident heading into the knockout rounds.
Team USA Faces Bosnia and Herzegovina Next
The United States will now meet Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. Bosnia advanced after finishing third in Group B but qualified as one of the tournament’s best third-place teams. The knockout match represents an important opportunity for the U.S., which has not won a World Cup knockout game since defeating Mexico in the Round of 16 in 2002. Bosnia arrives with confidence after earning results against Canada and Qatar during group play and features experienced striker Edin Džeko alongside rising young talent Kerim Alajbegović.
USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Date: Wednesday, July 1
- Round: Round of 32
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- TV: FOX (United States)
- What’s at stake: Winner advances to the Round of 16
Key Things to Watch
- Can the U.S. defense tighten up after allowing three goals against Türkiye?
- Will Christian Pulisic and several rested starters return to the starting lineup?
- Bosnia has proven dangerous on the counterattack throughout group play.
- Mauricio Pochettino’s squad will look to regain the attacking form that produced six goals in its first two World Cup matches.
- A victory would send the United States to the Round of 16 for the first time under the tournament’s new 48-team format.
Betting Outlook: Can Team USA Still Make a Deep World Cup Run?
Although Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Türkiye ended the United States’ perfect start to the tournament, it had little impact on the Americans’ long-term outlook because they had already secured first place in Group D.
The result did not change their Round of 32 matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and sportsbooks like FanDuel and BetMGM continue to view Team USA as a dangerous dark-horse contender entering the knockout stage.
The United States remains a sizable underdog to win the World Cup, but its odds have shortened considerably since the tournament began after victories over Paraguay and Australia.
Advancing out of the group as the No. 1 seed also provides a more favorable path through the Round of 32. A win over Bosnia and Herzegovina could further shorten Team USA’s championship price heading into the Round of 16.
World Cup Outright Odds
| Team | Odds to Win World Cup |
|---|---|
| France | +350 |
| Spain | +550 |
| Argentina | +600 |
| England | +650 |
| Portugal | +1000 |
| United States | +3000 |
Representative consensus odds as of June 26. Odds vary by sportsbook.
Other Results From Thursday
Thursday marked the conclusion of group play for Groups D, E and F and finalized several Round of 32 matchups.
- Paraguay 0, Australia 0: Australia secured advancement from Group D with the draw.
- Ecuador 2, Germany 1: Ecuador pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, although Germany had already qualified.
- Ivory Coast 2, Curaçao 0: Ivory Coast finished group play with an important victory.
- Netherlands 3, Tunisia 1: The Dutch advanced after a comfortable win.
- Japan 1, Sweden 1: Both teams shared the points in the Group F finale.
Key Games Remaining in Group Play
Several heavyweight nations are still battling for position before the knockout bracket is finalized.
- Norway vs. France – France looks to lock up first place in Group I while Erling Haaland and Norway seek another statement result.
- Uruguay vs. Spain – Spain attempts to finish group play with momentum after recovering from an early stumble.
- Belgium vs. New Zealand – Belgium still has work to do to secure advancement from Group G.
- Egypt vs. Iran – A decisive Group G matchup with qualification implications.
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