Men's World Cup

USA vs Turkey World Cup prediction, picks, analysis

USA TODAY

Updated June 25, 2026, 1:23 p.m. ET

Editor's note:Follow along for live World Cup updates all day

The U.S. knows it is moving on as the Group D winner, and Turkey knows it is going home, but the two teams still will meet in a group stage finale that has lost a fair bit of the luster it boasted prior to the tournament.

Turkey is still seeking its first goal of the tournament, falling 2-0 to Australia and 1-0 to Paraguay despite firing off many shots in both games. The shots haven't been good enough to get on target or beat the keeper, resulting in Turkey's early elimination.

Kerem Aktrkoglu, who has started at central forward for both Turkey's early matches, is a wide player with Fenerbahce but he hasn't been the solution manager Vincenzo Montella hoped as a player who could finish plays created by Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz.

The U.S. is likely to play an alternate lineup, protecting players who saw yellow cards in the first two games and would risk suspension if they picked up a third, but may see the return of Christian Pulisic, who missed the match against Australia with a calf issue. The attacker is unlikely to start but has been training with the full group and may be an option for a cameo off the bench to get rhythm back before the round of 32 game with Bosnia.

Overall, it's a game that doesn't look likely to have major ramifications on the tournament but will be one that could spring into a contest that delights the neutrals.

The 2026 World Cup is the largest ever, and USA TODAY is going all in with reporters on the ground in all 16 host cities across three countries to cover 48 teams vying for the trophy. Get our World Cup: Extra Time newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

USA vs Turkey World Cup predictions

Seth Vertelney: Turkey 1-1 USA

The USA will want to keep momentum going, though it will be fielding a reserve-heavy side after clinching the group. Getting a third straight win may be tough against a wounded Turkish side.

Jon Arnold: Turkey 1-2 USA

That goal finally comes for Turkey, but a rotated U.S. still is able to find a way to win and keep the good vibes going into the Round of 32.

Victoria Hernandez: Turkey 1-2 USA

The United States don't need to play at full force with the group already locked up, but they're on too much of a high for Turkey to compete.

World Cup picks, predictions and odds for June 25

How to watch Turkey vs USA on June 25

Matchup: Turkey vs USA
Date: Thursday, June 25
Time: 10:00 PM (ET)
Venue: SoFi Stadium
Location: Inglewood, California
TV: Fox
Streaming: FOX One App
Spanish Broadcast: Telemundo, Peacock

Watch the 2026 World Cup with Fubo

Turkey vs USA World Cup odds

World Cup standings

Explore live group standings, stats and the updated bracket with USA TODAY Sports here.

2026 World Cup format

The 48 competing nations are divided into 12 groups of four. Each group will play a round robin style where teams are awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw. The top two teams in each group advance to the Round of 32 along with the eight best third-place squads. Tiebreakers in the group standings will be resolved using the following criteria:

Greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned
Superior goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned
Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned
Superior goal difference in all group matches
Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches
Highest team conduct score (players and team officials) relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained
The two or more teams still equal on points shall be ranked according to the most recent published edition of the FIFA Men's World Ranking

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