VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 13: Arda Guler #8 of Turkiye runs with the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Australia and Türkiye at BC Place Vancouver on June 13, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Following victories against Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), the United States Men’s National Team has reached the end of the opening movement at the 2026 World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino already composed his squad to a first-place finish in Group D, which affords the cushion to rest key players ahead of the knockout phase. The third and final opponent is Türkiye, one of the last nations to punch a ticket to the tournament. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California – a 70,240-seat multi-purpose stadium with a natural “cool-season hybrid grass grown in Washington” – hosts the fixture.

This is the sixth all-time meeting between the two nations, with the record at a 2-2-1 split and the USMNT dropping the most recent result in last year’s friendly (1-2). Ranked 26^th internationally by FIFA, Türkiye earned a spot in the final tournament by finishing second in UEFA’s Group E by besting Georgia (3-2, 4-1), picking up two wins against Bulgaria (6-1, 2-0), and registering a loss and a draw against Spain (0-6, 2-2) before dispatching Romania (1-0) and Kosovo (1-0) in the playoffs. Pre-tournament friendlies were positive results against North Macedonia (4-0) and Venezuela (2-1). The tournament opened with defeats to Australia (0-2) and Paraguay (0-1), dooming the squad to an early elimination.

Vincenzo Montella was appointed to the manager role in September of 2023 and last year signed a contract extension through June of 2028, enjoying the “beautiful path” that his side has traveled and “instilling intensity and self-belief in a talented but often-inconsistent group.” The 52-year-old retired Italian striker previously led a slew of club sides, including Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Milan, Sevilla, and Adana Demirspor, most notably winning the Supercoppa Italiana with I Rossoneri (The Red and Blacks) in 2016. He was the subject of various departure rumors but remained loyal to his adopted home, describing himself as “unbelievably proud” and “Turkish at heart.”

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Montella named a 26-player roster for the World Cup. The domestic Süper Lig is home to 15 of the call-ups, while 10 are on the books of other European competitions and one is based in the Saudi Pro League. Notable absences include Yusuf Sarı, Yusuf Akçiçek, Mustafa Eskihellaç, Semih Kılıçsoy, Berke Özer, and Atakan Karazor.

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GOALKEEPERS (3): Mert Günok (Fenerbahçe), Altay Bayındır (Manchester United), Uğurcan Çakır (Galatasaray)
DEFENDERS (9): Zeki Çelik (Roma), Merih Demiral (Al-Ahli), Çağlar Söyüncü (Fenerbahçe), Eren Elmalı (Galatasaray), Abdülkerim Bardakcı (Galatasaray), Ozan Kabak (TSG Hoffenheim), Mert Müldür (Fenerbahçe), Ferdi Kadıoğlu (Brighton & Hove Albion), Samet Akaydin (Çaykur Rizespor)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund), Orkun Kökçü (Beşiktaş), Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan), İsmail Yüksek (Fenerbahçe), Kaan Ayhan (Galatasaray)
FORWARDS (9): Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Fenerbahçe), Arda Güler (Real Madrid), Deniz Gül (Porto), Kenan Yıldız (Juventus), İrfan Can Kahveci (Kasımpaşa), Yunus Akgün (Galatasaray), Barış Alper Yılmaz (Galatasaray), Oğuz Aydın (Fenerbahçe), Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt)
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Montella typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation with a “propensity for eschewing a recognised centre-forward” and a more conservative style that has sought to maintain discipline and keep the temperature low. The fast and ferocious fullbacks become “auxiliary wingers when the team goes forward,” granting the tactical versatility to overlap during the dominance of more controlled, possession-oriented build-ups or bunkering and hitting the opponent on the counter. ESPN describes the squad as “vulnerable defensively” and “lacking firepower at striker,” with a habit of “cracking under the pressure.”

While damned with faint praise as “just reliable enough” and “not at the level required by major nations,” Uğurcan Çakır got the job done during the qualifying playoffs with “sharp reflexes, commanding presence, and consistency.” The 30-year-old Galatasaray goalkeeper boasts one of the best save percentage rates in the Süper Lig and maintains a high level of accuracy with his passing, particularly on long-range attempts. He has a sharp agility and can adjust quickly to the unpredictable deflections in the box or go completely horizontal when making acrobatic stops on the sort of attempts that would have been all-time finishes. His responsibility is to provide both error-free stability and a few wonder-saves that shift the scoreline.

Abdülkerim Bardakcı has a unique combination of physicality and skill on the ball that sees him engage in physical battles and aerial duels before making weaving runs through multiple lines. The 31-year-old Galatasaray centre-back has an innate sense of timing when spiriting into sliding challenges and creates impressive quick combinations across the field, never rooted in a single place. Al-Ahli’s Merih Demiral leaves his mark on matches with aggressive challenges that can draw the ire of opponents, punishing players who attempt to hold onto possession for too long or target him in the one-on-one. A dominant presence in both halves, he spends a significant portion of time on the ground and gives little hesitation to sacrificing his body, particularly when making a heroic goal-line stop. Samet Akaydin of Çaykur Rizespor has spent the majority of his career in the domestic league and excels at chasing down attackers and pursuing wingers into the corners with his fast, angled runs. The Trapezian can be relied upon for the occasional finish, particularly on set pieces, and delivers phenomenal long-range distribution that soars over the pressing blocks to the far-side winger. Eschewing potential free agency, Ozan Kabak signed a “lucrative” contract

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