Following victories against Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), the United States Men’s National Team has reached the end of the opening movement at the 2026 World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino already composed his squad to a first-place finish in Group D, which affords the cushion to rest key players ahead of the knockout phase. The third and final opponent is Türkiye, one of the last nations to punch a ticket to the tournament. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California – a 70,240-seat multi-purpose stadium
with a natural “cool-season hybrid grass grown in Washington” – hosts the fixture.
This is the sixth all-time meeting between the two nations, with the record at a 2-2-1 split and the USMNT dropping the most recent result in last year’s friendly (1-2). Ranked 26th internationally by FIFA, Türkiye earned a spot in the final tournament by finishing second in UEFA’s Group E by besting Georgia (3-2, 4-1), picking up two wins against Bulgaria (6-1, 2-0), and registering a loss and a draw against Spain (0-6, 2-2) before dispatching Romania (1-0) and Kosovo (1-0) in the playoffs. Pre-tournament friendlies were positive results against North Macedonia (4-0) and Venezuela (2-1). The tournament opened with defeats to Australia (0-2) and Paraguay (0-1), dooming the squad to an early elimination.
Vincenzo Montella was appointed to the manager role in September of 2023 and last year signed a contract extension through June of 2028, enjoying the “beautiful path” that his side has traveled and “instilling intensity and self-belief in a talented but often-inconsistent group.” The 52-year-old retired Italian striker previously led a slew of club sides, including Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Milan, Sevilla, and Adana Demirspor, most notably winning the Supercoppa Italiana with I Rossoneri (The Red and Blacks) in 2016. He was the subject of various departure rumors but remained loyal to his adopted home, describing himself as “unbelievably proud” and “Turkish at heart.”
Montella named a 26-player roster for the World Cup. The domestic Süper Lig is home to 15 of the call-ups, while 10 are on the books of other European competitions and one is based in the Saudi Pro League. Notable absences include Yusuf Sarı, Yusuf Akçiçek, Mustafa Eskihellaç, Semih Kılıçsoy, Berke Özer, and Atakan Karazor.
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GOALKEEPERS (3): Mert Günok (Fenerbahçe), Altay Bayındır (Manchester United), Uğurcan Çakır (Galatasaray)
DEFENDERS (9): Zeki Çelik (Roma), Merih Demiral (Al-Ahli), Çağlar Söyüncü (Fenerbahçe), Eren Elmalı (Galatasaray), Abdülkerim Bardakcı (Galatasaray), Ozan Kabak (TSG Hoffenheim), Mert Müldür (Fenerbahçe), Ferdi Kadıoğlu (Brighton & Hove Albion), Samet Akaydin (Çaykur Rizespor)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund), Orkun Kökçü (Beşiktaş), Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan), İsmail Yüksek (Fenerbahçe), Kaan Ayhan (Galatasaray)
FORWARDS (9): Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Fenerbahçe), Arda Güler (Real Madrid), Deniz Gül (Porto), Kenan Yıldız (Juventus), İrfan Can Kahveci (Kasımpaşa), Yunus Akgün (Galatasaray), Barış Alper Yılmaz (Galatasaray), Oğuz Aydın (Fenerbahçe), Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt)
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Montella typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation with a “propensity for eschewing a recognised centre-forward” and a more conservative style that has sought to maintain discipline and keep the temperature low. The fast and ferocious fullbacks become “auxiliary wingers when the team goes forward,” granting the tactical versatility to overlap during the dominance of more controlled, possession-oriented build-ups or bunkering and hitting the opponent on the counter. ESPN describes the squad as “vulnerable defensively” and “lacking firepower at striker,” with a habit of “cracking under the pressure.”
While damned with faint praise as “just reliable enough” and “not at the level required by major nations,” Uğurcan Çakır got the job done during the qualifying playoffs with “sharp reflexes, commanding presence, and consistency.” The 30-year-old Galatasaray goalkeeper boasts one of the best save percentage rates in the Süper Lig and maintains a high level of accuracy with his passing, particularly on long-range attempts. He has a sharp agility and can adjust quickly to the unpredictable deflections in the box or go completely horizontal when making acrobatic stops on the sort of attempts that would have been all-time finishes. His responsibility is to provide both error-free stability and a few wonder-saves that shift the scoreline.
Abdülkerim Bardakcı has a unique combination of physicality and skill on the ball that sees him engage in physical battles and aerial duels before making weaving runs through multiple lines. The 31-year-old Galatasaray centre-back has an innate sense of timing when spiriting into sliding challenges and creates impressive quick combinations across the field, never rooted in a single place. Al-Ahli’s Merih Demiral leaves his mark on matches with aggressive challenges that can draw the ire of opponents, punishing players who attempt to hold onto possession for too long or target him in the one-on-one. A dominant presence in both halves, he spends a significant portion of time on the ground and gives little hesitation to sacrificing his body, particularly when making a heroic goal-line stop. Samet Akaydin of Çaykur Rizespor has spent the majority of his career in the domestic league and excels at chasing down attackers and pursuing wingers into the corners with his fast, angled runs. The Trapezian can be relied upon for the occasional finish, particularly on set pieces, and delivers phenomenal long-range distribution that soars over the pressing blocks to the far-side winger. Eschewing potential free agency, Ozan Kabak signed a “lucrative” contract extension with Hoffenheim, as the athletic defender can control entire swaths of the pitch and regularly find the back of the net. His constant ball-winning is on display when rising above the crowd to claim headers, while his deft dribbling helps to progress into advanced zones and free up teammates. Çağlar Söyüncü has seen his influence wane after a seemingly propitious start to his professional journey but can still control proceedings when forced to make a play in isolation. His accurate left foot helps to open up the formation; solo excursions can sometimes push him all the way to the final third, and his attacking output makes him a dangerous option requiring monitoring.
Brighton Player of the Season Ferdi Kadıoğlu can line up at multiple positions, having started his career “as a traditional number 10” and displaying an “ability to dribble in tight spaces and pick passes in forward areas.” The former Netherlands youth international covers the length of the field in the pursuit of turnovers before charging ahead to play the creative role or dip into the back post for a clean-up finish. Zeki Çelik has a swashbuckling style that puts him in the attacking zones, ready to dispense a powerful long-distance shot or hit a cross that troubles the opposing back line. The manager praises him as a “perfect player for any coach” by being “professional, reliable, and [doing] his job wherever played,” with a relentless style that eventually spins gold. Austria-born Mert Müldür has the pace for the wing and the size at six feet, two inches tall to deploy in a central position, exhibiting a deft feel for the crucial touches. The 27-year-old Fenerbahçe defender will take the initiative with darting one-on-one peregrinations through the crowd, typically with an east-west shuffle before exploding past his unsettled mark. Galatasaray’s Eren Elmalı does a lot of crucial work in the air and will take a beating with his constant engagement in physical battles that some wingers prefer to avoid. He can operate as an additional forward and pairs well with teammates by using quick one-two combinations to push down the touchline, providing crucial progression and enabling the central players to focus on creation.
İsmail Yüksek is unafraid to dispense a heavy challenge or become a lockpicker in the final third, cutting around defenders with tight moves and hitting smart balls over the top. The 27-year-old Fenerbahçe box-to-box midfielder will also take his occasional long-distance shots but is more of a facilitator who makes the entire squad better with his selfless efforts. While his attempts are sublime, Hakan Çalhanoğlu is more than one of the game’s best free-kick takers, with supreme passing vision and the skill to accomplish his ambitions. At this later stage of his career, he has shifted from the ten to a “deep-lying pivot,” relying on his “switching the play with a driven ball that bypasses three lines of pressure.” Real Madrid’s Arda Güler is a “key playmaker from the half-space” and “connects the deeper midfielders with the attackers” by “dictating the pace and the shape of the team’s attacks.” The Ankaran will hold onto possession for seemingly endless lengths of time, waiting and analyzing his options for the best move, typically a swing across the width of the field. Orkun Kökçü spent the past season on loan with Beşiktaş from Benfica and is a disrupting presence for the national team, stopping potential incursions and attempting audacious service. Zonal Pressing praises him as a progressor who “opens up opportunities for [teammates],” while Breaking the Lines notes his ability to drop passes “into dangerous areas to push the team forward.” Salih Özcan of Borussia Dortmund is adroit at settling with a sublime first touch and makes himself known in and around the box by threading the needle and testing the goalkeeper. A smart player with a read of the space, his vision is on display whether making the correct decision during three-on-four breaks or finding a tight window in a tight area.
Kenan Yıldız demonstrates “flair, composure, and glimpses of physical presence in duels,” able to “operate between lines, create overloads and combination, and cut inside on his stronger right foot.” The 20-year-old Juventus attacker has hit double-digit goals in the past two seasons at the club level with an array of long-distance shots and conversions at the end of hard runs. Galatasaray’s Yunus Akgün will drop back very deep in the formation in order to receive the ball or force a turnover and will put in the hard work to progress his team into the final third. While more of a set-up player, he can also produce the occasional fantastic finish with his electric left foot, typically cutting inward from the right side and placing the ball into the corner. Barış Alper Yılmaz remains in the domestic league despite regular reports of a move abroad, with his physicality and tenacity granting the versatility to deploy in several spots. The game will often run through his taking control in isolation, with his creativity and skill becoming responsible for providing the crucial moment that breaks open proceedings. Oğuz Aydın of Fenerbahçe will typically perform a quick cutback to lose his defender and then hit a cross to the far post or put an attempt on net if there is enough of an angle. His profile saw a sharp rise in 2025 with eight caps for Türkiye, as Montella values his ability to provide “unpredictability” and “continuity from the back to maintain balance.” İrfan Can Kahveci spent the back end of the past campaign on loan at Kasımpaşa after a supposed suspension from Fenerbahçe but still displays a resourcefulness to clean up rebounds. With regular headers, steam-powered charges, and long-range bombs, his streaky scoring and solo efforts can help to snatch a tally against the run of play.
To the chagrin of many, Montella opts for the controversial false-nine, with winger Kerem Aktürkoğlu deployed to lead the formation during the overwhelming majority of qualifying. The 27-year-old Fenerbahçe attacker provided the “magical touch” in the 1-0 victory over Kosovo to deliver his side to the World Cup and also registered a nifty brace in a 3-2 win against Georgia. He blazes into and through the final third, whether on his own or making combinations with teammates, and has an innate ability to latch on to rebounds and loose balls. Despite standing at five feet, eight inches tall, there is an element of target playing to his game, receiving while handling contact or demonstrating his understanding of the space. Porto’s Deniz Gül cuts an imposing figure at six feet, four inches tall and is still waiting for his first breakout season in a top division yet netted his first senior international goal in the 2-2 draw with Spain during qualifying. The Sweden-born forward throws his weight around in the traditional sense by stepping back and claiming possession with his back to the net, helping to direct traffic with his distribution.
The USMNT is heading to the knockout rounds, which might yield quite the unexpected result in the meaningless third match. Eyes have turned to the Round of 32, and the lineup changes should follow in order to preserve health and prevent yellow-card suspensions. Türkiye could snag three points, as the eliminated European opponent is playing for pride.
The match is scheduled for Thursday, June 25th at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Pacific. Viewing options include FOX, Telemundo, Peacock, and FuboTV (free trial).
