Turkey, back at a World Cup for the first time since their 2002 semi-final run, face Paraguay in San Francisco's bay area. With Calhanoglu, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz forming arguably the most talented Turkish generation in two decades, the Crescent-Stars are heavy favorites here.
Why: Turkey's talent depth in attacking areas significantly exceeds Paraguay's. Arda Guler at Real Madrid (21 years old, top young talent), Calhanoglu at Inter, Yildiz at Juventus, Demiral at Al-Ahli, all Champions League pedigree. Paraguay's squad relies on counter-attacking through Almiron and Almeida. Bookmaker prices Turkey at 1.85, implying 54%, but the gap pushes closer to 65%.
Yildiz scored 14 Serie A goals at Juventus in 2025-26, his breakthrough season. He operates as an inverted left winger drifting centrally. Paraguay's right-back Junior Alonso will struggle with his trickery. Anytime price 2.05.
Demiral picked up 8 Saudi Pro League yellows in 2025-26. Against Paraguay's pacy Almiron-Almeida transitions, the foul rate climbs. Anytime Card around 2.80.
The match is at Levi's Stadium, the home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. Soccer capacity 70,909 for the 2026 World Cup. Opened in 2014.
Levi's hosts six matches at the 2026 World Cup including group games and a Round of 32 fixture. The Bay Area's significant Turkish-American and Latino communities will pack the venue.
Turkey have qualified for three World Cups (1954, 2002, 2026). Their 2002 campaign in South Korea/Japan remains the country's defining footballing moment: third place finish after a semi-final loss to Brazil.
Vincenzo Montella, the Italian coach (AC Milan, Sevilla, Fiorentina), took over in 2023. He guided Turkey to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, knocking out Austria along the way before a narrow loss to the Netherlands.
Something cool: Captain Hakan Calhanoglu has converted from creative attacking midfielder to deep-lying regista at Inter Milan, where he was named Serie A's best defensive midfielder in 2024 and 2025. His role for Turkey mirrors that successful transformation.
Paraguay have qualified for nine World Cups, including a memorable 2010 quarter-final run in South Africa. The 2026 tournament is their first since 2010, a 16-year wait.
Gustavo Alfaro, the experienced Argentine coach (Ecuador 2022 World Cup, multiple Liga MX clubs), took over in 2024 and rebuilt the squad with a focus on tactical structure and physicality.
Something cool: Paraguay finished 4th in CONMEBOL qualifying with 28 points from 18 matches, beating Colombia and Chile to the spot. Alfaro's compact 4-4-2 setup made them one of the hardest sides to break down in South America.
Calhanoglu has been Turkey captain since 2022. Club career: Karlsruher to Hamburg to Bayer Leverkusen to AC Milan to Inter Milan since 2021. Multiple Serie A titles, including the 2023-24 Scudetto.
His tactical conversion from attacking midfielder to deep-lying playmaker at Inter has been one of the most successful in modern football. Calhanoglu now leads Serie A in passes attempted and completed.
Captaining at his second World Cup, the experienced voice of a squad combining veterans (Demiral, Calhanoglu) with rising stars (Arda Guler, Yildiz).
Gomez has been Paraguay captain since 2022. Club career: Lanus to Inter Milan to Boca Juniors to Milan to Palmeiras in Brazilian Serie A since 2018. Multiple Brasileirao titles, 2021 Copa Libertadores winner.
His role is the central defensive anchor and on-field leader. Strong aerial presence and tactical reading.
Captaining at his first World Cup, leading Paraguay's first global tournament appearance in 16 years.
Turkey finished UEFA Group H qualifying with 7 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses, scoring 23 goals. They went 7 straight matches unbeaten in the lead-up. Calhanoglu scored 4, Yildiz 5.
Paraguay finished 4th in CONMEBOL with 8 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses across 18 matches. Almiron led scoring with 4.
Based on each side's most recent friendly. Final XIs confirm one hour before kick-off; this page will update.
| Date | Match | Venue | Preview |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun | USA vs Paraguay | Inglewood | Preview → |
| 13 Jun | Australia vs Turkey | Vancouver | Preview → |
| 19 Jun | Turkey vs Paraguay | Santa Clara | This page |
| 19 Jun | USA vs Australia | Seattle | Preview → |
| 25 Jun | Paraguay vs Australia | Santa Clara | Preview → |
| 25 Jun | Turkey vs USA | Inglewood | Preview → |
All four teams, qualification scenarios and BetBot predictions: See full Group D overview →
Montella's Turkey plays a 4-2-3-1 with Calhanoglu as the deep regista, Arda Guler in attacking midfield, Yildiz on the left, and Tosun as the central focal point.
Alfaro's Paraguay plays a disciplined 4-4-2 with Cubas and Villasanti as the double pivot, Almiron on the right, Bareiro and Sanabria as the strike pair.
Turkey need a win to set up a winnable matchday 3 against USA. Paraguay's path requires a win or strong draw plus result against Australia.
Friday 19 June 2026 at 21:00 ET (03:00 CEST Saturday 20 June, 18:00 PT). Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara.
Defensive midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan), captain since 2022. Multiple Serie A titles.
Centre-back Gustavo Gomez (Palmeiras), captain since 2022. 2021 Copa Libertadores winner.
24 years. Their last World Cup was 2002 in South Korea/Japan, where they finished third in their best ever tournament.
16 years. Their last World Cup was 2010 in South Africa, where they reached the quarter-finals.
BetBot auto-posts daily tips, the anytime goalscorer pick and live in-play alerts for every World Cup match. Free, 30-second setup.
Add BetBot to Discord