Both Turkey and Paraguay will be hoping for their first win at the 2026 World Cup when they meet at 4am (UK time) on Saturday 20th June.
Turkey sit third in Group D after a shock 2-0 defeat to Australia in their tournament opener. Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler both struggled to make an impact as the Socceroos defended deep and hit them hard on the counter. It leaves Vincenzo Montella’s side in a must-win situation – defeat here effectively ends their knockout ambitions before Matchday 3 against the United States.
Paraguay sit bottom of Group D after a heavy 4-1 loss to the United States in their opener. They conceded three times in the first half at SoFi Stadium and never recovered, with Folarin Balogun’s brace doing the damage. They will need a significant improvement to keep their tournament alive against a Turkey side equally desperate for points.
This will be the first competitive meeting between these two sides. Their sole previous encounter came in a friendly in 1995, which ended goalless.
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Turkey vs Paraguay team news
Turkey team news
Montella faces real pressure to deliver a performance after the Australia debacle – but he looks set to largely stick with his guns.
The key question surrounds Kenan Yildiz, who struggled for fitness at the end of last season and could not start against Australia due to a calf problem. He may again be restricted to an impact role from the bench. Arda Guler and Orkun Kokcu should continue as the supporting cast for a lone striker – either Kerem Akturkoglu or Deniz Gul.
Captain Hakan Calhanoglu takes care of set-piece duties and remains the creative heartbeat of the side. Ferdi Kadioglu, who created five chances against Australia, patrols the left flank and carries significant creative threat. The back four looks unchanged, with Merih Demiral and Abdulkerim Bardakci at centre-back.
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Paraguay team news
Alfaro faces the tougher selection dilemma after a brutal 4-1 defeat.
Damian Bobadilla scored an own goal before Alfaro hauled him off at half-time – he could make way, with his replacement Mauricio having scored their only goal and now pushing hard for a start. Almiron carries a reported injury doubt, though the camp hope he passes fit in time. Gustavo Caballero also missed the USA match with a muscular issue, while Ramon Sosa carries an ankle problem – two further concerns for Alfaro to manage.
Captain Gustavo Gomez and Omar Alderete should retain their places at the heart of defence, with Alfaro unlikely to abandon his defensive structure entirely. Julio Enciso remains Paraguay’s main creative outlet, with Antonio Sanabria leading the attack.
Turkey vs Paraguay predicted lineups
Turkey (4-2-3-1): Cakir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Calhanoglu, Yuksek; Guler, Kokcu, Yilmaz; Akturkoglu.
Paraguay (4-4-1-1): Gill; Caceres, Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; Sosa, Mauricio, Almiron, Cubas; Enciso; Sanabria.
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