Turkey snatched a dramatic 3-2 victory over a second-string USA side in the dying seconds of their final Group D match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, while Australia secured their place in the knockout phase for the third time in their history with a nervy 0-0 draw against Paraguay in San Francisco.
Germany, already guaranteed top spot in their group, slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Ecuador, prompting fierce criticism in the German media. Sky Sport Deutschland wrote that Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala “once again fell far short of their potential” and Manuel Neuer “looked shaky on both goals conceded”. Bild described the performance as “worrying”, warning that “at this rate, we’ll be out soon”.
“Turkey beat USA 3-2, Australia drew 0-0 to qualify, Germany lost 2-1 but top group.”
Despite the defeat, Julian Nagelsmann’s side finished as group winners, but the display raised doubts after a 7-1 demolition of Curacao and a 2-1 win over Cote d’Ivoire had marked them as tournament favourites. Ecuador, needing a win to progress, turned the game around after Leroy Sané’s early goal, with Nilson Angulo and Gonzalo Plata scoring either side of a contentious VAR decision that denied Germany a penalty at 1-1.
For Australia, the 0-0 draw was enough to secure second place in Group D, behind co-hosts USA. Tony Popovic’s much-changed side controlled large parts of the match, but with both teams knowing a draw would suffice, long stretches lacked impetus. Jordy Bos and debutant Lucas Herrington impressed, and the team will now rest for a week before their last-32 match in Dallas. Their opponent will be the second-placed team from Group G, with Belgium well-placed to finish second after needing only to beat New Zealand to qualify.
Turkey, meanwhile, ended their group campaign on a high, while the USA still advanced as group winners. The knockout stage now looms, with Australia’s historic achievement lifting spirits after their earlier struggles against the USA.