World Cup 2026 Day 15: Group D recap

Day 15 of the 2026 World Cup saw Groups D, E, and F finish their group stage. Group D was one where most things were already squared away at the top and the bottom. The USA clinched the top spot with two wins from two games, while Turkiye was eliminated; the two met on the final matchday. Paraguay and Australia met, looking to determine who would finish second and who would have to wait to see whether they were among the eight best 3rd-place teams advancing to the round of 32.

General view inside the stadium before the match

DANIEL COLE

World Cup Group D - Matchday 3

Turkiye 3 - 2 USA

This was a rubber match between two sides that knew their fate. The USA knew they were in first place, no matter what; Turkiye knew they were eliminated even if they scored their first goals of the tournament.

Turkiye would score two in the first half, after going down 1-0. The USA would fight back to make it 2-2, but then conceded on the final kick of the game, losing their first match at the 2026 World Cup.

Auston Trusty of the U.S. celebrates scoring their first goal with Brenden Aaronson and Miles Robinson

Matthew Childs

The USA will now have a bad taste in their mouth as they move on to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1st in the Round of 32, while Turkiye will be on a flight home tomorrow with the consolation prize of a meaningless win.

Turkey's Orkun Kokcu celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates

Matthew Childs

For more on the game, check out Metro Philly Sports Network’s full recap here: USMNT moves on to knockout rounds despite first loss of World Cup in rubber-match vs Turkiye.

Paraguay 0 - 0 Australia

Both Paraguay and Australia had three points coming into their final game. If there were a winner between the two, they would take second place in Group D. However, Australia knew a draw would give them second place, and Paraguay knew a draw would have them sit on four points in third place; essentially enough to make the knockouts as one of the eight best third-place teams. So there were stakes in this game, but none that pushed either side to really "go for it."

The national flags of Paraguay and Australia are seen on the pitch before the match

Luisa Gonzalez

The first half between these two sides proved that this game would be a chippy affair. There was little attacking quality, and the main highlight from the first 45 minutes was when Australia's Metcalfe was kicked in the head, resulting in a pause in play for a bloody mess. Between both teams, there were only seven shots in the first half, three of which were on target, all from Australia. The second half was not much better.

Australia's Connor Metcalfe sustains an injury as Aiden O'Neill looks on

Luisa Gonzalez

Australia and Paraguay both produced six shots, with two on goal in the second half. Paraguay actually looked a bit more dangerous, getting one of those shots on target early in the half; the last three were all in the last few minutes. Again, the biggest highlight was a potential injury as Paraguay's Enciso crashed into some end boards. This car crash of a game ended 0-0, with both nations feeling pretty content

Australia's Milos Degenek and Harry Souttar celebrate after the match

DARREN YAMASHITA

Australia's second-place finish in Group D means they will play another second-place team in the Round of 32. The Socceroos have the ability to frustrate teams and hit them on the counterattack; could they make a knockout round run? Paraguay will have a much more difficult run as one of the best eight third-place teams, playing the top team from Group E.

Day 15, Group D, Round-up:

We already knew the USMNT was the group winner heading into this matchday. Their loss to Turkiye on the last kick of the game will leave a bad taste in their mouth that they will get to expunge in the knockout round vs Bosnia and Herzegovina next Wednesday. Australia getting the draw means they took second place and will face the second-place finisher from Group G. Paraguay currently sits as the fourth-best third-place finisher, which would mean they would face Germany in the Round of 32. Turkiye will take their lone three points on the plane back home, to face the music of a nation furious with their World Cup showing after being eliminated.

Day 16 sees another three groups play their final matchday. Groups G, H, and I all play their last games before the knockout rounds. Will the underdogs of these groups continue Cinderella runs? Will Mbappé or Haaland power their team to win Group I? Tune in to find out.

MORE: Philly Sport's Network's World Cup Coverage