Mauricio Pochettino expressed frustration following the United States men's national soccer team’s narrow 3-2 loss to Turkey in their final Group D match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match concluded in the early hours of Sunday, with Turkey’s Kaan Ayhan scoring the decisive goal during the eighth minute of added time.

Despite the defeat, the United States secured first place in Group D and will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 on Wednesday night in Santa Clara, California. Pochettino, 54, defended the team's overall performance and questioned the focus on the recent loss rather than their group-stage success.

“No one congratulated us for finishing first in our group,” Pochettino said. “I congratulate the players, staff and fans to finish first. I’m so positive and happy. Your questions are a little bit weird.”

The U.S. team had entered the tournament with high expectations as hosts and managed to navigate their group successfully, advancing ahead of Turkey and other Group D rivals despite the late setback. Their upcoming knockout match against Bosnia and Herzegovina will determine whether they can maintain momentum into the later stages of the competition.