Güler vs Pulisic · Group D Final · America's Home Tournament · LA Showdown
Türkiye arrive at this match having already secured qualification for the round of 32 — a second-place finish in Group D depends on this result. Vincenzo Montella's side possess the most exciting young attacking partnership in this group: Arda Güler (Real Madrid, 21) and Kenan Yıldız (Juventus) are the kind of combination that neutral observers circle as the game they most want to see when a draw produces this matchup.
Güler's creativity at Real Madrid has established him as one of Europe's most technically gifted young midfielders — his dribbling in tight spaces, his vision for passes that others don't see, and his ability to score from distance make him fundamentally difficult to manage defensively. Yıldız provides the goal threat from Juventus — direct, capable of decisive moments, the forward who translates Güler's artistry into actual danger. Captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan) provides the experience and Champions League-quality reading of the game that tells Montella's side when to be patient and when to attack. Altay Bayındır (Manchester United) is Turkey's goalkeeper — Premier League quality between the posts.
The problem with Turkey, as always, is that their performances are determined by which Turkey has arrived. The version that beats this USA side exists. The version that loses to Paraguay also exists.
The United States Men's National Team, playing at their home World Cup, in Los Angeles, in the final group game, needing a result to confirm top of Group D — this is the match that Mauricio Pochettino's appointment was building toward. Everything about the last four years of American football development has been pointing at moments like this one.
Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, 84 caps) is the face and fulcrum of the USMNT attack — operating at the best form of his club career following a Serie A season that sharpened his finishing and gave him the confidence his early career occasionally lacked. Folarin Balogun (Monaco, 19 league goals in 2025-26) leads the line as a striker whose movement in the box and clinical finishing have made him exactly the type of forward Pochettino's attacking system requires. Tyler Adams provides the midfield composure and ball-recovery that allows Pulisic to operate in advanced positions without the team's structure collapsing. Weston McKennie brings European-forged experience and late runs from deep that goalkeepers consistently misjudge.
The weight of expectation at a home World Cup is real. But Pochettino has managed PSG and Chelsea — he has stood in technical areas while entire nations demand results. He understands pressure football better than almost any manager at this tournament.