Türkiye vs Paraguay — World Cup 2026

FILE No. M-205CLASS: GROUP MATCHSTATUS: GROUP STAGEWC 2026

Türkiye

0–1

Paraguay

Match events

K. AkturkogluOn: B. Yilmaz46'
I. YuksekOn: C. Uzun60'
Y. AkgunOn: D. Gul60'
V. Montella63'
F. KadiogluOn: E. Elmali70'
E. Elmali71'
A. BardakciOn: O. Kokcu86'

0–12'M. Galarzaassist J. Enciso
4'M. Galarza
45+3'M. Almiron
46'I. PittaOn: D. Bobadilla
67'D. GomezOn: G. Velazquez
81'J. CaceresOn: A. Maidana
90+2'J. EncisoOn: G. Avalos
90+2'M. GalarzaOn: J. Canale

TürkiyeMatch statsParaguay

79%Possession21%

32Shots7

5Shots on Target2

12Corners0

14Fouls15

1Yellow Cards1

0Red Cards1

—

Türkiye — starting XI

4-2-3-1

Bench

21Barış Alper Yılmaz
26Can Uzun
9Deniz Gül
13Eren Elmalı
6Orkun Kökçü
12Altay Bayındır
1Mert Günok
22Kaan Ayhan
15Ozan Kabak
25Samet Akaydın
2Zeki Çelik
4Çağlar Söyüncü
24Oğuz Aydın
5Salih Özcan
17İrfan Can Kahveci

Paraguay — starting XI

4-4-2

Bench

16Damián Bobadilla
2Gustavo Velázquez
26Alexandro Maidana
13José Canale
21Gabriel Ávalos
22Gastón Olveira
1Roberto Fernández
5Fabián Balbuena
11Mauricio
20Braian Ojeda
24Gustavo Caballero
17Alejandro Romero
7Ramón Sosa
9Antonio Sanabria
18Alex Arce

02 · Tale of the Tape

Tale of the tape.

24.4

Average Age

25.5

03 · The Form Guide

Last five walks into the room.

Who's hotter going in? Latest competitive results, newest first.

Türkiye

Mar 31

vs Italy U19

UEFA U19 Championship - Qualification · Elite Round - 1 · Stadio Nicola Ceravolo

1–1

Mar 30

at Kosovo U19

UEFA U19 Championship - Qualification · Qualification - Round 1 - League B - 3

1–3

Mar 28

vs Hungary U19

UEFA U19 Championship - Qualification · Elite Round - 1 · Real Cosenza

3–2

Mar 27

vs Armenia U19

UEFA U19 Championship - Qualification · Qualification - Round 1 - League B - 2

1–1

Mar 25

at Slovakia U19

UEFA U19 Championship - Qualification · Elite Round - 1 · Real Cosenza

1–0

Paraguay

Mar 31

at Brazil U20

Friendlies · Friendly International

1–3

Mar 28

at Brazil U20

Friendlies · Friendly International · Estadio Martins Pereira

1–3

Oct 8

vs Norway U20

World Cup - U20 · Round of 16 · Estadio Fiscal de Talca

0–1

Oct 3

at Ukraine U20

World Cup - U20 · Group Stage - 3 · Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos

1–2

Sep 30

at Korea Republic U20

World Cup - U20 · Group Stage - 2 · Estadio Elías Figueroa Brander

0–0

05 · Key Battles

Three duels that decide it.

// Playmaker vs Playmaker · The midfield throne

Çalhanoğlu's set-piece mastery and threading passes from deep will likely dictate tempo against a more industrious Romero. The Inter midfielder's technical range gives Türkiye a creative edge in a tight group contest.

// Right winger vs Left back · The pace trap

Yıldız's directness and Juventus pedigree will test Balbuena's positioning early and often. The Paraguayan defender is solid but rarely faces a talent with this much vertical threat—expect Türkiye to hunt the left flank.

// Left back vs Right winger · Brighton's young blade

Enciso carries Brighton's pressing aggression and cutting edge into this match, but Müldür is a confident, attacking fullback who won't be bullied. A modern fullback duel where both seek to overload their flank.

06 · Style Clash

Elegance vs Grit: The group-stage chess match

Montella's Türkiye unit blend European technical sophistication with Anatolian resilience, while Alfaro's Paraguay lean on collective pressure and set-piece organization.

// Anatolian Elegance

Türkiye

// South American Grit

Paraguay

Precise

Build-up play

Direct

Orchestrated

Midfield control

Combative

Structured

Pressing trigger