United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino brushed aside concerns after his side suffered a 3-2 defeat to Turkiye in their final FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match, insisting that finishing top of the group was always the team's primary objective.

Already assured of a place in the Round of 32, the United States (US) made nine changes to their starting XI but were denied a positive result when Kaan Ayhan scored a dramatic 98th-minute winner to hand already-eliminated Turkiye a memorable victory. Despite the defeat, the hosts advanced as Group D winners and will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara on Wednesday.