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The Group D of the 2026 World Cup was concluded this Friday with two simultaneous matches that brought surprises and confirmed the qualification of three teams. with six points despite losing to Turkey, while Australia and Paraguay also secured their spots in the round of 32.
The most striking result of the day came at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where Turkey defeated the home team 3-2 in a match that was decided in stoppage time. Auston Trusty opened the scoring for the United States in the third minute, but Arda Güler and Baris Alper Yilmaz turned the game around before halftime. Sebastian Berhalter equalized for the locals in the 49th minute, but Kaan Ayhan sealed the final score of 3-2 in the 98th minute. The loss had no consequences for the Americans, who had already secured the top spot in the group.
In parallel, Paraguay and Australia faced off in a very tight match at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, which ended in a goalless draw. The Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill was a standout with a crucial save at the start that prevented Australia from going ahead 1-0. Australia dominated possession with 64%, but was unable to break through the Paraguayan defense, which recorded zero shots on target throughout the match.
The draw was enough for both teams: Australia secured second place in the group with four points, and Paraguay remains among the best third-placed teams in the tournament provisionally, awaiting the conclusion of the other groups.
The final table of Group D ended as follows: United States first with six points and a goal difference of +4; Australia second with four points and a goal difference of zero; Paraguay third with four points but a goal difference of -2; and Turkey eliminated with three points.
Throughout the group phase, the team led by Mauricio Pochettino was the highest scorer in the group with eight goals: they defeated Paraguay 4-1 in the opening match on June 12 and won 2-0 against Australia on June 19. Australia had started with a 2-0 victory over Turkey on June 14, and Paraguay secured their only win against the Turks with a score of 1-0 on June 19.
Turkey, which arrived at the final day with only one victory and needed to win while hoping for other results, achieved the win but it wasn't enough to continue in the tournament.
The United States already knows its next opponent: it will face Bosnia and Herzegovina —classified as the best third from Group B— on July 1 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The matchup with Australia and the final confirmation of Paraguay's advancement depend on how the other groups of the World Cup conclude.
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