No previous meetings between these teams.
-
1
Mauricio1
- 1
Arda Güler8 - 2Kenan Yildiz6
- 3Hakan Çalhanoglu5
- 4Diego Gómez4
- 5Kerem Aktürkoglu3
- 6Ismail Yüksek3
- 7Julio Enciso2
- 8Miguel Almirón2
- 9Ferdi Kadioglu1
- 10Zeki Çelik1
- 1Andrés Cubas4
- 2Ismail Yüksek3
- 3Juan José Cáceres3
- 4Julio Enciso2
- 5Abdülkerim Bardakci2
- 6Júnior Alonso2
- 7Mauricio2
- 8Kerem Aktürkoglu1
- 9Arda Güler1
- 10Álex Arce1
Turkey and Paraguay will both be looking to get their World Cup 2026 campaigns back on track when they meet in a crucial Group D encounter on Saturday 20th June (4am UK time).
After suffering stinging defeats in their opening matches, both countries head into this duel knowing that the stakes are high, given that another loss could already result in an early exit from the tournament.
Turkey vs Paraguay Predictions & Betting Tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paraguay over 2.5 cards | 21/20 @ Ladbrokes (48.8%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Paraguay racked up five yellow cards in the 4-1 defeat to the United States and are unlikely to see too much of the ball against Turkey, which could increase the likelihood of tactical fouls and cynical challenges to break up attacks. |
| Hakan Calhanoglu to score or assist | 41/20 @ Virgin Bet (32.8%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Turkey’s creative king and captain has 22 goals for the national team and accumulated 19 goal involvements in 30 matches for Inter Milan last season. Turkey will be looking for him to sparkle against Paraguay, who were ripped to shreds against the United States. |
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
How both teams go into Turkey vs Paraguay
Turkey
Turkey arrived at World Cup 2026 tipped by many as potential dark horses, but their campaign got off to a disappointing start with a surprise 2-0 defeat to Australia in Vancouver.
The result was particularly frustrating given Turkey’s dominance throughout, where they controlled 71.6% possession and peppered the Australian goal with 30 shots, eight of them on target, but were unable to convert their superiority into goals.
Vincenzo Montella’s side will need to find their shooting boots in time for Paraguay, whose defensive frailties was exposed in a damaging 4-1 defeat to the United States. If Turkey can maintain the same level of attacking pressure while finding greater composure in front of goal, they have every chance of picking up their first World Cup win in 24 years (when they finished third in 2002).
Paraguay
Paraguay were pretty dreadful against the United States, suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to the co-hosts in a match where they struggled to gain any foothold and leaked in three first-half goals. Gustavo Alfaro’s side managed just 34.7% possession and registered only one shot on target as they were outplayed for large periods.
Paraguay will be eager to put that performance behind them and start afresh against Turkey. After all, the South Americans have shown they are capable of competing with the very best, having recorded impressive victories over both Argentina and Brazil during qualifying.
Turkey team news
Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella could decide to stay loyal to the same starting 11 for Paraguay, given that they dominated the game and didn’t exactly struggle to create chances, boss.
However, if they do decide to make a change then expect Kenan Yildiz, who played the second-half against the Aussies and scored three goals in qualifying, to come in.
Paraguay team news
Paraguay endured a disaster in the opening game, meaning Gustavo Alfaro could make a couple of changes in preparation for Turkey.
Damian Bobadilla is probably the player most susceptible to being dropped given that he scored an own goal against the States and was then subbed off at half-time.
Head-to-Head: Last Meeting
The countries have only locked horns on one previous occasion which was a goalless draw in an international friendly back in June 1995.
| Date | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 18/06/2026 | Paraguay 0-0 Turkey | International Friendly |
Expect a response from Turkey in California
Turkey’s opening 2-0 defeat to Australia was one of the biggest surprises of the first round of World Cup fixtures, but the scoreline tells only part of the story. Vincenzo Montella’s side completely dominated large spells of the contest and only they will know how they failed to score from 30 shots.
We’re expecting a big response against Paraguay in California, spearheaded by skipper Hakan Calhanoglu who can be backed at 41/20 to score or assist.
While Paraguay are fully capable of pulling off a result themselves, it could prove to be another long night for the South Americans, who had five players booked against the US, and are available at 21/20 to register over 2.5 cards on Saturday.
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