She Kicks Magazine
·22 June 2026
Turkey vs United States Prediction: World Cup 2026 Preview & Best Bets

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Yahoo sportsShe Kicks Magazine
·22 June 2026

Turkey vs United States | Group D, Matchday 15 | Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT (19:00 UTC-7)
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles (Inglewood), USA
Group D Context: United States lead Group D on 6 points (P2 W2) and are already through. Turkey sit bottom on 0 points (P2 W0 L2) and are eliminated. This is a dead rubber for qualification but a pride match for Turkey.
TV/Streaming (USA): Fox Sports, Telemundo
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The United States enter this Group D finale as group winners, already assured of progression with a perfect six points from wins over Paraguay and Australia. For Turkey, the picture is the opposite: two defeats without scoring a single goal have ended their tournament before this final game at SoFi Stadium, and the only available motivation now is salvaging some pride in what is their first World Cup appearance in 24 years. The Americans can afford to rotate and experiment; Turkey will want a win to send their supporters home with something to remember from a painful campaign.
The United States are the pick here even with potential rotation, backed by two commanding group-stage victories and a home crowd that has already produced a hostile atmosphere at SoFi Stadium. At +102 on the best available price, the Americans represent real value against a Turkey side that has not scored in two World Cup appearances and carries serious questions about their finishing.
This fixture lands at a curious juncture: one side is already celebrating qualification while the other is playing for nothing but reputation. Turkey’s elimination, confirmed after a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Paraguay, has left coach Vincenzo Montella facing uncomfortable questions about a side that registered 32 attempts against Paraguay without converting once. The wastefulness in front of goal has been the defining theme of Turkey’s World Cup 2026 campaign, and the United States defense will be alert to a Turkey attack that creates chances but cannot finish them.
For Mauricio Pochettino’s United States, this is an opportunity to close out the group stage on home soil, in front of a partisan crowd at one of the tournament’s flagship venues. Pochettino may use this game to give fringe players meaningful minutes ahead of the knockout rounds, but even a rotated USMNT lineup carries genuine quality. Their 4-1 opening win over Paraguay and a composed 2-0 victory over Australia signal a team with defensive organization and attacking punch, particularly through their forwards.
Christian Pulisic remains the standard-bearer for the United States, and even if rested, the depth behind him in attack is evident. Turkey’s route back into this game runs through their midfield quality, specifically the influence of Hakan Calhanoğlu at the base of their shape, but the United States defense has been miserly across two matches and will not be easy to penetrate.
Turkey’s two World Cup defeats have come against sides that pressed them high and punished the gaps behind their fullbacks. Their pre-tournament form was encouraging, with a 4-0 demolition of North Macedonia and a narrow victory over Venezuela, but those results have not translated to the main event. The 0-2 defeat to Australia in Vancouver was followed by that agonizing loss to Paraguay, leaving Turkey scoreless in 180 minutes of World Cup football and facing their severest test of finishing under pressure.
The United States have been imperious in competitive action at this tournament. Six goals scored and just one conceded across two group games tells a story of a side that has found both their attacking rhythm and defensive shape at the right moment. The pre-tournament losses to Germany and Portugal provide context for where the ceiling of this team sits, but those results have not carried over to the World Cup stage.
These two sides have met five times in total, with the head-to-head split almost perfectly even across the history of the fixture. Turkey won the most recent encounter, a friendly played in June 2025 that finished 2-1 in Turkey’s favor when the United States were the home side. Before that, the Americans had won consecutive friendlies in 2014 (2-1) and 2010 (2-1), while Turkey took a 2003 Confederations Cup meeting 2-1, and the earliest recorded result was a 1-1 draw in 1991. This will be the first time these nations meet in a competitive World Cup fixture, meaning there is no established tournament-level rivalry to draw on.
The most relevant data point from recent history is Turkey’s 2025 friendly win, which demonstrated they are capable of troubling the United States on their own turf. However, the context of that result differs sharply from the current moment: Turkey arrive in Los Angeles eliminated and misfiring, while the United States are in the form of their lives at this tournament.
Turkey have no fresh injury news emerging publicly ahead of this fixture, but their squad has been under strain both physically and psychologically after two damaging defeats. Montella must decide whether to stick with the experienced core that has underperformed or give minutes to younger players such as Arda Guler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus, who have both been in the squad. Kerem Akturkoglu, Turkey’s most prolific recent scorer in the national team setup, will be expected to lead the forward line and will be eager to end a goalless tournament on a positive note.
Hakan Calhanoğlu, who arrived at this World Cup as one of the more statistically active midfielders in terms of shots taken, carries the creative burden for Turkey. His ability to dictate tempo from deep remains their clearest route to unlocking a resilient United States defensive block. Defenders Merih Demiral and Caglar Soyuncu provide experience at the back, though both have struggled to keep clean sheets in this tournament.
For the United States, Pochettino has the luxury of genuine depth and may rotate. Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Giovanni Reyna are all available and competing for midfield slots, while Folarin Balogun has been the tournament’s standout American attacker with two goals from two games. Christian Pulisic’s involvement may be managed given the knockout rounds on the horizon, but even a partially rotated lineup retains serious quality across every line.
Turkey (4-3-3): Ugurcan Cakir; Zeki Celik, Merih Demiral, Caglar Soyuncu, Ferdi Kadioglu; Salih Ozcan, Hakan Calhanoğlu (c), Orkun Kokcu; Arda Guler, Kerem Akturkoglu, Kenan Yildiz
United States (4-2-3-1): Matt Turner; Sergino Dest, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Antonee Robinson; Tyler Adams (c), Weston McKennie; Timothy Weah, Giovanni Reyna, Brenden Aaronson; Folarin Balogun
Predicted lineups based on available squad information. Starting selections subject to final confirmation by each coaching staff.
The central contest in this game is between Hakan Calhanoğlu‘s ability to drive Turkey forward from deep and the pressing system the United States have deployed across both group matches. Calhanoğlu has been Turkey’s most active creative force at this tournament in terms of shots and ball progression from midfield, but he has faced double coverage repeatedly and has been unable to break the pattern of attacking possession without end product. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie are aggressive ball-hunters who will look to press Calhanoğlu early and deny him time on the ball. If the United States can win that midfield battle, Turkey’s attacking unit, one that has created chances but converted none across two games, will struggle to find the combination play needed to threaten Matt Turner’s goal.
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Main Pick: United States to Win @ +102 (BetOnline)
The United States are the standout selection in the Turkey vs United States betting odds. They have won both group games, they are playing at home at SoFi Stadium in front of a partisan crowd, and their opponents have scored zero goals in this tournament across two attempts. Even with rotation, the quality gap in this fixture is real. The best available price of +102 at BetOnline makes this one of the cleaner calls across the tournament’s final group-stage round.
Goals Market: Over 2.5 Goals @ -135 (BetOnline / Lucky Rebel)
Both leading US books price the over at -135, and there are strong reasons to back it. The United States have averaged three goals per game in Group D, while Turkey’s defensive record is three goals conceded in two games without a clean sheet. Turkey will need to attack in this fixture to preserve any credibility, which opens space for the hosts to exploit on the counter. Over 2.5 is the goals market selection.
Scorer Market: Folarin Balogun Anytime Scorer
Folarin Balogun has scored in both United States group games, accounting for two of their six tournament goals. He is clearly the focal point of Pochettino’s attack and carries the best form of any United States forward in this squad right now. Turkey’s center-backs have been exposed in this tournament, and Balogun’s movement and finishing make him the standout Turkey vs United States pick in the scorer market.
Optional Fourth Selection: Turkey to Score @ best available price
Against a potentially rotated United States defense, there is a case that Turkey finally find the net after a goalless tournament. Their attackers have been creating opportunities, Calhanoğlu has been active in the shooting department, and the pressure of a meaningless group finale can sometimes unlock performances that were absent under competitive necessity. This is a speculative add rather than a core selection, but worth considering for those building a same-game combination.
Here is a full comparison of the Turkey vs United States odds available across the three leading sportsbooks for this Group D fixture.
The best price on a United States win is -105 at BetOnline. For those taking Turkey at long odds, BetOnline offers the best return at +260. The draw is most generously priced at BetNow at +328 for those who believe the dead-rubber context may produce a flat, tight game.
Turkey vs United States will be broadcast live in the United States on Fox Sports and Telemundo, with kickoff at 7:00 PM PT on June 25, 2026 from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (Inglewood). Streaming is available through the Fox Sports app and Peacock for eligible subscribers. International viewers can access the match through their respective local broadcasters, including ITV and BBC in the UK, Globo and SporTV in Brazil, and TF1 or beIN Sports in France.
To place your Turkey vs United States best bets ahead of kickoff, follow these steps:
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