Turkey vs Paraguay — World Cup 2026 Group · Matchday 2
Match preview / What to expect
Updated Jun 6, 2026Turkey meet Paraguay in Group D, a meeting of an exciting young European side and a battle-hardened South American outfit, with qualification implications likely on the line.
Vincenzo Montella's Turkey are blessed with creative talent, headlined by Arda Guler and Real Madrid's Kenan Yildiz, with Hakan Calhanoglu orchestrating midfield. Gustavo Alfaro's Paraguay are typically well-organised, physical and dangerous from set pieces, with Antonio Sanabria and Miguel Almiron offering the attacking spark.
Turkey will aim to dominate possession and unlock Paraguay with their technical edge, while La Albirroja will look to stay compact, compete physically and capitalise on dead-ball situations.
Key storylines
- 01Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz showcasing Turkey's new generation of talent.
- 02Paraguay's set-piece threat and physicality under Gustavo Alfaro.
- 03Hakan Calhanoglu's control of midfield against a disciplined Paraguay block.
Prediction
Turkey 2-1 Paraguay
Projected lineups
Projected XI — not confirmed
Turkey
Formation 4-2-3-1- 1Ugurcan Cakir
- 2Zeki Celik
- 3Merih Demiral
- 4Abdulkerim Bardakci
- 5Ferdi Kadioglu
- 6Hakan Calhanoglu
- 7Salih Ozcan
- 8Arda Guler
- 9Kerem Akturkoglu
- 10Kenan Yildiz
- 11Baris Alper Yilmaz
Paraguay
Formation 4-4-2- 1R. Fernandez
- 2G. Velazquez
- 3G. Gomez
- 4O. Alderete
- 5J. Alonso
- 6A. Cubas
- 7D. Bobadilla
- 8M. Almiron
- 9R. Sosa
- 10A. Sanabria
- 11J. Enciso
Team news
Turkey
- Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz headline Turkey's creative options.
- Hakan Calhanoglu dictates from deep midfield.
Paraguay
- Antonio Sanabria expected to lead the Paraguayan attack.
- Paraguay built to be physical and strong from set pieces.
Sources
Preview is editorial. Projected lineups are not confirmed team sheets.
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