World Cup group stage enters elimination phase as USMNT prepares for Turkiye
The United States Men’s National Team has secured top spot in Group D and looks to rotate players ahead of the final group match against Turkiye on Thursday.
The third round of the 2026 World Cup group stage matches commenced on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, marking the first significant elimination phase of the tournament. The United States Men's National Team, managed by Mauricio Pochettino, secured top spot in Group D with victories over Paraguay and Australia. The USMNT prepares to face Turkiye on Thursday, 25 June, in their final group stage match before the knockout phase begins over the weekend.
The USMNT has already qualified for the knockout stages and is expected to rotate players in the final group match against Turkiye. Christian Pulisic is recovering from injury and is expected to return for the match on Thursday. The USMNT will return to play on 1 July at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for the knockout phase.
Wednesday's fixtures included Switzerland versus Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina versus Qatar, Scotland versus Brazil, Morocco versus Haiti, Czechia versus Mexico, and South Africa versus the Republic of Korea. The matches were broadcast across the CBS Sports Golazo Network, which is providing up to 12 hours of live programming each matchday across its platforms.
Thursday's fixtures featured Ecuador against Germany, Curacao against Ivory Coast, Tunisia against the Netherlands, Japan against Sweden, and Paraguay versus Australia. The United States faced Turkiye at 10 p.m. on FOX, concluding the group stage schedule for the North American co-host.
Christian Pulisic was featured in a nine-part Paramount+ docuseries exploring the pressures of performing on the world stage. The series traces his journey from a small-town kid in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to European stardom, highlighting the personal and professional demands placed on key players during a World Cup cycle.
The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament opened in Mexico City at the Azteca stadium with an opening ceremony featuring global music stars including Shakira, J Balvin, Burna Boy, Andrea Bocelli, and Tyla. This marks Mexico’s first World Cup on home soil in 40 years.
The competition concludes with the final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The event will feature a half-time show curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, with performances by Madonna, Shakira, and BTS, aiming to support FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund.
