U.S. men aim for third consecutive World Cup win against Turkey

The United States men's national team is set to play Turkey on Thursday night at Los Angeles Stadium, the tournament venue for SoFi Stadium, in the final group-stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. entered the game with six points, having defeated Paraguay 4-1 on June 12 and Australia 2-0 on June 19, and currently leads Group D.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino has fielded a 26-man squad that hopes to extend its two-game winning streak. A third win would mark the first time the American side has achieved three consecutive victories in a World Cup.

"I know they're gonna want to finish strong, so we just have to do our job," forward Tim Weah told ABC News.

Defender Mark McKenzie highlighted the advantage of scoring early and the support of a large home crowd.

"When you're able to score early, I think it gives you that chance, it buys you that time to really build into the game and continue to play with that freedom."

"When the national anthem's playing, and you got 50,000, 60,000 people singing, I think that's something that we as players truly appreciate, and we use that as energy going into the games."

Star forward Christian Pulisic, who missed the first two matches due to a left calf injury, said he feels better after returning to full training but may be limited in minutes.

"I joined the team the last couple days, and yeah, I'm hoping to play a part in Thursday's match for sure."

Two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Mia Hamm said she will attend the match and emphasized the importance of Pulisic’s health for the upcoming knockout round.

"There is no one who wants to be on that field more than he does. They're looking at round of 32, and they want Christian Pulisic on the field for that and to make sure that there are no questions about his health."

The game will be broadcast in the United States on Fox Sports.