Turkey Ends 24-Year World Cup Goal Drought, But Exits Disappointed

Turkey wrapped up its World Cup 2026 campaign with a 3-2 win over the United States on Friday, sealed by a goal in the 98th minute, but still finished with only three points in its group and was eliminated. The team had arrived at the tournament hoping to go beyond the group stage, at least, but the results fell far short of that goal.

After the final whistle, Orkun Kökçü said, "Our country did not deserve this, and we did not deserve this either. We can say many things, but this is not the time yet, everyone here is emotionally overwhelmed. It was important to win because our honor and pride were on the line. Thank God, we managed to at least save that. We all need to do some soul-searching. Neither we nor our country deserved this, I will say it again."

Reporter Burak Avtayi called the campaign "very disappointing," but said there was still reason for optimism because the squad contains some of the most exciting young talents in European football. He added that, given the emerging talent, many expect Turkey to return to major tournaments in a much stronger position.

The match also ended Turkey's 24-year World Cup goal drought. Arda Güler scored the team's first goal in the tournament, after Turkey had failed to score in its first two matches despite taking 62 shots combined. Against the U.S., it scored with its first shot of the game, though that small milestone was unlikely to soften the blow of elimination.