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The 2026 World Cup has been a major letdown for Türkiye, who will bow out of the competition after facing the U.S. men's national team on Thursday, having failed to find the net in defeats to Australia and Paraguay.
This summer represents the nation's first World Cup showing since 2002, and expectations were high that a young, talented squad could make a genuine push into the knockout stages. Instead, they're heading home after the group phase.
Despite falling 2–0 to Australia and 1–0 to a Paraguay side that played 45 minutes with 10 men, Türkiye hasn't been entirely outclassed. Vincenzo Montella's attack-minded team largely dominated both contests but have been vulnerable on the counter and have failed to convert across a combined 62 attempts over the two matches.
This final fixture is a dead rubber. The USMNT has already secured Group D, and Türkiye knows its tournament is over—but that doesn't mean the European side will go out without a fight, eager to put a dent in the co-host's impressive run so far.
Here, Sports Illustrated spotlights three Turkish players who could pose a real threat on Thursday.
Arda Guler
Operating as the central No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1 system, Arda Güler is the focal point of Türkiye's attacking play. While the Real Madrid 21-year-old hasn't quite hit his stride at this World Cup, he has remained a consistent presence in the attacking midfield role.
Against Australia, he led the match with an impressive eight shots but struggled to find high-quality positions inside the penalty area while deployed in a wider role. In the second game against Paraguay, he moved into more threatening zones and attempted one of three shots from inside the box, though he failed to trouble the goalkeeper.
Güler won't hesitate to shoot from range against the USMNT, and his creative instincts will pose a serious challenge to whichever defenders Pochettino selects, though his inconsistent finishing may limit the overall threat he poses.
Ferdi Kadioglu
One of the defining features of the USMNT's performances against Australia and Paraguay has been their wide overloads and the overlapping runs of their wingers and fullbacks. While those have been standout elements of the team's play, they will encounter a tough challenge in Brighton left back Ferdi Kadıoğlu, who is expected to feature in the Turkish defensive line.
Kadıoğlu's ability to hold his defensive shape while cutting off attacking runs will be vital for his team, and he is likely to go head-to-head with Sergiño Dest or Tim Weah, who will need to adapt their game against a more technically gifted and quicker defender than Australia's Jordan Bos or Paraguay's 33-year-old Júnior Alonso.
Beyond his defensive qualities, Kadıoğlu can also initiate attacks from wide positions or by driving inside, potentially feeding the ball to more dangerous attacking players, including Güler and Juventus star left winger Kenan Yıldız.
Kenan Yildiz
Following a standout season at Juventus, where he contributed 10 goals and six assists across 36 appearances, Kenan Yıldız's World Cup campaign has been a significant letdown. Fortunately, at just 21 years old and surrounded by a talented generation, he will almost certainly have at least one more World Cup opportunity ahead of him.
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Even so, that doesn't mean he isn't hungry for a defining World Cup moment in this tournament's final game, having struggled to create clear-cut chances and been caught out defensively on several occasions.
After a difficult outing off the bench against Australia, he showed glimpses of his Juventus form against Paraguay, generating four chances and registering 10 touches in the box. He'll be looking to sharpen his final product against the USMNT, hoping to write the first chapter of what he envisions as a long World Cup story.