California [US], June 26 (ANI): Turkiye signed off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Group D winners and the co-hosts United States, producing a ruthless attacking display that finally broke their long-standing scoring drought and saw young star Arda Guler create national history.
Coming into the contest already eliminated, Turkiye had endured remarkable frustration in front of goal, failing to score from their first 62 shots of the tournament, according to OptaCan. But against the USA, they needed just two attempts to find the net twice, with Arda Guler and Orkun Kokcu converting Turkiye’s opening two shots of the match to spark an impressive turnaround.
The hosts made a dream start when Auston Trusty headed home Sebastian Berhalter’s corner in the third minute, putting the United States ahead before the visitors had settled.
Turkiye, however, responded almost immediately. In the 10th minute, Guler combined neatly with Baris Yilmaz before firing home the equaliser. The strike not only levelled the contest but also etched the Real Madrid midfielder into the record books.
At 21 years and 120 days, Guler became the youngest Turkish footballer to score in a FIFA World Cup, surpassing the previous record held by Emre Belozoglu, who was 21 years and 275 days when he scored against Costa Rica, according to OptaCan.
Boosted by the equaliser, Turkiye took control of the game and completed the comeback in the 31st minute. Eren Elmali supplied the assist for Kokcu, who calmly finished to give his side a 2-1 advantage. Remarkably, Turkiye had transformed their first two shots of the match into goals after drawing blanks from their previous 62 attempts in the competition.
The United States responded strongly after the interval as Berhalter unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area in the 48th minute to restore parity.
Despite introducing experienced players, including Christian Pulisic, in pursuit of victory, the hosts were unable to prevent late heartbreak.
Deep into stoppage time, Kaan Ayhan bundled the ball home in the 98th minute to seal a dramatic win for Turkiye, ending their campaign on a high despite their early elimination.
Guler’s influential display earned him the Player of the Match award, capping a memorable evening for the 21-year-old. While the USA suffered their first defeat of the group stage, they still progressed as Group D winners.
The co-hosts also finished the group phase with eight goals, their highest tally in a single men’s FIFA World Cup campaign, surpassing their previous best totals from the 1930 and 2002 editions. (ANI)
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