Turkey secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over the United States in Los Angeles on Thursday night, with Kaan Ayhan scoring the winning goal in the 98th minute. However, the result was not enough for Turkey to advance, as they were eliminated from the tournament as the bottom-placed team in Group D. The United States, despite the late defeat, still finished at the top of Group D with six points.
Auston Trusty opened the scoring for the U.S. in the third minute, but Arda Guler quickly equalized. Baris Alper Yilmaz put Turkey ahead just past the hour mark, only for Sebastian Berhalter to level the score for the U.S. four minutes later. Ayhan's last-gasp winner ultimately gave Turkey the three points, but it did not affect the U.S. progressing.
In the other Group D match, Australia drew 0-0 with Paraguay. This result saw Australia advance to the knockout stages, finishing second in the group with four points, behind the United States. Paraguay's draw also put them in contention for a best third-place finish.
The U.S. team, managed by Mauricio Pochettino, ended the night atop Group D. The match was attended by several celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paris Hilton, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Ecuador secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Germany to qualify for the knockout stages. Nilson Angulo and Gonzalo Plata scored for Ecuador, with Plata scoring the late winner. Ivory Coast also advanced, defeating Curacao 2-0 with two goals from Nicolas Pepe, marking their first-ever World Cup knockout stage appearance. The Netherlands finished top of Group F with a 3-1 win over Tunisia, while Japan and Sweden drew 1-1 to also advance from Group F. This draw was detrimental for Scotland's hopes of advancing as a third-place team.
Looking ahead, a highly anticipated match is set to feature Kylian Mbappe's France against Erling Haaland's Norway. Both strikers have been in strong form, with four goals each in their respective tournaments so far. Other matches on the day include Senegal vs. Iraq, Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, Uruguay vs. Spain, Egypt vs. New Zealand, and Belgium vs. New Zealand.