Editor’s note: Keep up with the USA-Turkey game with our live blog, here.
Turkey entered this World Cup as a dark horse, with many pundits picking the team to win Group D and go on a deep run ahead of the tournament.
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Instead, it has all gone wrong for Turkey, which enters Thursday’s game against the United States having already been eliminated from the tournament.
Turkey is in its first World Cup since 2002, but there were still big things expected from a team that boasts several players at the highest levels of the club game.
Captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu is a mainstay for Italian champion Inter, Kenan Yıldız is a rising star at Juventus, while Arda Güler has already made a major impact with Real Madrid.
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But things haven’t gone to plan for a Turkey side that has controlled its opening two games, but still came away with zero points.
Photos reveal unforgettable World Cup action and emotion
US forward #20 Folarin Balogun (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s third goal during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between USA and Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.
(PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP via Getty Images)
Photos reveal unforgettable World Cup action and emotion
US forward #20 Folarin Balogun (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s third goal during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between USA and Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.
(PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP via Getty Images)
Photos reveal unforgettable World Cup action and emotion
Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States scores his team’s third goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles.
(Richard Heathcote, Getty Images)
Photos reveal unforgettable World Cup action and emotion
Cesar Samudio #12 of Panama fails to save a shot from Giovanni Reyna #7 of the United States as he scores his team’s fourth goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles.
(Jamie Squire, Getty Images)
Photos reveal unforgettable World Cup action and emotion
US midfielder #07 Giovanni Reyna (R) scores his team’s fourth goal during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between USA and Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.
(VALERIE MACON, AFP via Getty Images)
Photos reveal unforgettable World Cup action and emotion
US players celebrate the fourth goal by midfielder #07 Giovanni Reyna during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between USA and Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.
(VALERIE MACON, AFP via Getty Images)
Australia got an early goal on the counter-attack in their opener, then held on through an onslaught of Turkish attacks, eventually scoring another goal late in a 2-0 win.
The Paraguay game was even worse.
Paraguay midfielder Matías Galarza scored just two minutes in and despite a first-half red card for Miguel Almirón, Turkey still couldn’t find a way through in a 1-0 defeat.
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Turkey has remarkably taken 62 total shots at this tournament — more than any other side through two games — and still has yet to find the net.
Bad shot selection? Bad finishing? Bad luck? It is probably some combination of all three. Ahead of the game against the U.S., Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella cited his team’s strong attacking stats at the tournament as a defense of its performance.
But for all of its attacking intent, Turkey has no goals and two losses. That has led to calls for Montella to resign, but the coach made it clear that he wasn’t leaving voluntarily.
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“If the question is whether I want to resign, the answer is no,” Montella said at a news conference Thursday. “I still have energy and passion. If someone wants me to resign, they will have to accept that I will not.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Turkey eliminated from World Cup? USA game set to end competition
