Inglewood, June 25 (IANS) With qualification already secured and top spot in Group D guaranteed, the United States can approach its final group-stage match against Turkey with freedom and flexibility. Back-to-back wins over Paraguay and Australia have ensured Mauricio Pochettino’s side will enter the Round of 32 as group winners, making this fixture at Los Angeles Stadium largely a chance to manage resources ahead of the knockout phase.
The comfortable position is expected to give Pochettino an opportunity to rotate his squad and hand minutes to fringe players eager to stake a claim for a bigger role in the tournament. Even with changes to the starting lineup, the Americans will be aiming to maintain momentum and finish the group stage with a perfect record.
Turkey, by contrast, arrive with little more than pride to play for. Consecutive defeats have already ended their hopes of progression, and a lack of attacking output has been a major concern, with Vincenzo Montella’s side yet to find the back of the net in the competition.
While the result will not affect the standings, the match still offers an important opportunity for both teams. The United States can build confidence and squad depth ahead of the knockouts, while Türkiye will be desperate to avoid ending their campaign without a point or a goal.
Given the contrasting trajectories of the two sides, the hosts will enter the contest as clear favourites to close out the group stage on a winning note.
How to watch Turkey vs USA live in India:
Live streaming and live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 football matches will be available on the Zee5 platform and app in India. A subscription will be needed.
Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.
Key details
Date and kick-off time: Friday, June 26, 07:30 AM (IST)
Venue: Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, USA
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal
Squads:
Turkey –
Goalkeepers: Ugurcan Cakir, Altay Bayindir, Berke Ozer.
Defenders: Merih Demiral, Caglar Soyuncu, Abdulkerim Bardakci, Samet Akaydin, Eren Elmali, Mert Muldur, Zeki Celik, Ferdi Kadioglu, Yusuf
Akcicek.
Midfielders: Hakan Calhanoglu, Orkun Kökçü, İsmail Yüksek, Salih Özcan, Okay Yokuşlu, Kaan Ayhan, Irfan Can Kahveci, Can Uzun.
Forwards: Kenan Yildiz, Arda Guler, Kerem Akturkoglu, Bariş Alper Yilmaz, Cengiz Under, Semih Kilicsoy, Bertug Yildirim, Deniz Gul.
United States of America –
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Matt Turner
Defenders: Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty
Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Cristian Roldan, Malik Tillman
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright, Alejandro Zendej
–IANS
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