The United States suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Turkey in their final Group D match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Kaan Ayhan scoring a last-minute winner to hand the co-host nation an unexpected setback. Despite the defeat, the United States comfortably advanced to the Round of 32 after finishing at the top of Group D and will now face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the next stage of the tournament.
Turkey had already been eliminated from the competition before facing the United States following consecutive defeats to Australia and Paraguay. Under FIFA World Cup regulations, teams eliminated during the group stage are still required to complete all scheduled group matches, making the fixture against Mauricio Pochettino's side a formality despite Turkey having no chance of progressing.
Although the result had no impact on the United States' qualification, the defeat triggered an unusual reaction on social media, where several supporters blamed former Vice President Kamala Harris for the loss. The speculation appeared to gain momentum after the New York Post published a report noting that Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, had shared a photograph on social media with the caption "Goal!" shortly before Turkey scored its second goal to take the lead.
The report also acknowledged that the Group D match was described as decisive, although the outcome did not affect the United States' qualification, as the team had already secured its place in the knockout stage with victories over Paraguay and Australia.
Following the report, numerous social media users claimed Harris had brought bad luck to the national team. One user wrote, "KAMALA CURSE!!!" while sharing the article. Another commented, "No wonder the US lost! Kamala Harris is bad luck! Who let her attend the game? Where is the outrage?" A separate post stated, "That's why! USA lost tonight because @KamalaHarris was in attendance. She cursed the team. Is this how we do it?"
Several other users echoed similar sentiments. One claimed, "Kamala Harris shows up and the United States loses. Not a coincidence." Another wrote, "I can't believe Kamala Harris caused the USMNT to lose tonight!!!" One additional post remarked, "Kamala Harris causes Team USA to lose 3-2 in the final group stage game! Everything Kamala touches turns to..." followed by a poop emoji.
Russian state-owned media outlet RT also joined the online discussion, posting, "TEAM USA goes down 2-1 and then loses 3-2 after KAMALA took this PIC and posted up at World Cup. New US curse?"
However, not all reactions supported the superstition-driven narrative. One observer argued that the defeat was more closely linked to team selection than any external factor, noting that the United States fielded a largely second-string lineup. "USA played with their B team. Many of their best were benched," the user wrote.
With qualification already secured before the match, it was a logical decision for head coach Mauricio Pochettino to rest several key players ahead of the knockout rounds. Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Sergiño Dest were among the regular starters left out of the lineup. Despite the squad rotation, the United States delivered a competitive performance before ultimately conceding a late winner.
The match concluded with Turkey claiming a morale-boosting victory despite its elimination, while the United States shifted its focus to the Round of 32, where it will continue its FIFA World Cup campaign against Bosnia-Herzegovina after securing first place in Group D.
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