Türkiye vs Paraguay
Turkiye and Paraguay suddenly find themselves in a dire situation after dropping their opening World Cup 2026 games against Australia (2-0) and the United States (4-1). Following last week’s World Cup 2026 results, the Crescent Stars and La Albirroja are at the bottom of Group D.
So, when these two nations meet at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Friday, Turkiye and Paraguay will fight tooth and nail for points, as losing this game might mean the end of their finals campaign. They’re also hoping that the United States-Australia match, which will take place earlier, is a draw.
Both sides waited for too long to return to the finals, so Turkiye and Paraguay won’t go down without a fight. This game is essentially a battle for third place, which would give them a sliver of hope of qualifying for the knockouts.
Learn more about these two countries in today’s SBOTOP match preview.
Talking Points
Türkiye should start Juventus star
Turkiye fans were perplexed when Kenan Yildiz was left out of the starting XI against Australia, as he would’ve made a difference in the first half. After all, the 21-year-old is coming off a productive club campaign, having led Juventus in scoring with 10 goals and six assists.
Before Yildiz came on to replace Baris Alper Yilmaz after halftime, Australia were already ahead by one, as Nestory Irankunda found the back of the net in the 27th minute. Connor Metcalfe put the final nail in the coffin for the Socceroos in the 75th minute to pull off the shocking upset.
According to reports, head coach Vincenzo Montella didn’t start Yildiz because he was concerned about the youngster’s fitness, which he didn’t elaborate on during his pre-match press conference. If Yildiz starts on the bench again on Friday, maybe there’s really something wrong with his condition that they’re trying to manage.
Either way, Turkiye will need more from their key players to eke out a win on Friday, and we’re looking at the likes of Arda Guler, Hakan Calhanoglu, Kerem Akturkoglu, and Orkun Kokcu to try to unlock Paraguay’s compact backline.
Paraguay might continue to play on the back foot
Paraguay were shocked when the United States came out firing in the first game. Gustavo Alfaro’s men conceded three goals in the first half, including a brace from Folarin Balogun, as they couldn’t keep up with the Stars and Stripes’ speed. La Albirroja’s only goal came in the 73rd minute after Mauricio converted off a long ball from their goalkeeper.
Centre-backs Omar Alderete and Gustavo Gomez will be busy again on Friday, as they’re tasked with keeping Turkiye’s attackers at bay. Miguel Almiron, Diego Gomez, Juan Jose Caceres, Alex Arce, and Junior Alonso have to be extra careful against the Crescent Stars due to the yellow cards they received against the United States.
Meanwhile, Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria should be ready for any counterattacking opportunities, which might be rare yet again.
History
Friday marks only the second competitive encounter between Turkiye and Paraguay. These two sides first met in an international friendly in June 1995, as they shared the spoils in a goalless draw.
Before losing to Australia in the World Cup 2026 opener, Turkiye were on an eight-game unbeaten run (W7, D1). Vincenzo Montella’s side qualified for the finals by beating Romania (1-0) and Kosovo (1-0) in the UEFA qualifiers Path C after finishing second behind Spain in Group E of the first round.
Before losing to the United States last time out, Paraguay won three of their previous four matches (L1). They returned to the finals after a 16-year absence, finishing sixth in the CONMEBOL qualifiers.
Betting Tip
The World Cup 2026 odds back Turkiye to return to winning ways at the expense of Paraguay, but they only have a small margin for error. The Crescent Stars have the slight advantage at 2.03, while La Albirroja aren’t far behind at 3.73, and a draw is valued at 3.33 in the 1X2 market. This will likely be a cagey affair, as both sides have only one goal between them in the tournament thus far. But Turkey should get the better of the exchanges because of their stronger roster.
Besides our recommended bet, punters may also add Over 2.00 at 1.60, Over 2.25 at 1.91, Over 2.50 at 2.20, Over 2.75 at 2.49, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.97 to the parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 0-0 – the result of their last competitive meeting – yields a robust payday of 8.60 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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