World Cup 2026: Group D Preview

The World Cup is nine days away! For the first time since 1994, the World Cup has returned to the shores of North America. The USA, Mexico, and Canada co-host the biggest World Cup in history, with 48 teams all fighting to be crowned world champions. Philly Sports Network and Metro Philadelphia strive to give you the best coverage of the World’s Game as possible, continuing now with Group D. This is the final group with a host nation, an underdog from down under, a South American hopeful, and a European side on the rise!

North America 2026: Group D Preview

Australia, Paraguay, Turkiye, and the USA headline group D. The four nations that will be playing against one another each face different pressures. Will that pressure break them or produce diamonds? 

USA is the team with the most pressure in Group D; they’re the co-hosts with Mexico and Canada, but they will feel like this is “their” World Cup. Australia will look to prove its fight is enough to carry it to a few knockout games. Paraguay will look to show they belong after a 16-year absence from the World Cup. Turkiye is dealing with being called the favorites in Group D while also coming back to the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

The FIFA World Cup is displayed during the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at Nathan Phillips Square.

Kevin Sousa

Australia

Australia has been a fixture at the World Cup; 2026 will be their sixth consecutive tournament. In 2022, they made the knockout round but fell in their first match to eventual winners Argentina. This time around, they will hope to do the same as an underdog. Australia finished second in their qualifying group, which was good enough to qualify for North America 2026.

Tony Popovic is the man in charge of the Socceroos and has been for the past two years. His teams are very defensively sound, playing in a 5-4-1 lineup. Australia loves to sit deep, with a block of four midfielders in front of a block of five defenders. This team loves to play scrappy, with hard tackles; they thrive in chaos. With that, Australia does have an issue finding the net; they only scored 16 goals in 10 qualifying games. If they want to make it back to the knockout round, they will need to use that defensive structure, cause chaos in the midfield, and find ways to put the ball in the back of the net.

It’s not often that we start with a goalkeeper when talking about star players, but Mat Ryan is one of, if not the most important, players for Australia. The keeper is set to start in his fourth World Cup; as the captain of the side, he will be in charge of keeping the team organized while stopping opposition shots. Speaking of being in charge, midfielder Jackson Irvine will be in charge of something for Australia: being an emotional spark. Whether that’s a crunching tackle or a dribble up the pitch, Irvine will be a player to watch and of great importance. An attacking midfielder who may be asked to help Australia score more goals is Riley McGree. His vision and technical ability are something Australia doesn’t have much of, but he may have to manage injuries that he’s struggled with this year.

If Australia’s defense-first approach frustrates the other teams in Group D, then they may find a way to get four points. That mark from three games may be just enough to finish in second or third in the group, which would mean the Socceroos would make back-to-back knockout rounds.

Mexico right midfielder Orbelin (17) and Australia left wing back Jordan Bos (5) battle for the ball in the first half at Rose Bowl Stadium.

Kirby Lee

Paraguay

Paraguay started their World Cup qualifying by losing five of six to fellow South American countries. They then went on to win 11 of the next 12 qualifiers and have made it back to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, finishing in the last CONMEBOL auto qualifying spot.

One of the biggest reasons for Paraguay’s turnaround and qualification is their coach, Gustavo Alfaro. His 4-2-3-1 formation is used to organize the defense, and his energy has instilled a gritty nature in his teams. Alfraro has gotten the most out of some of the younger players coming into his squad, making noticeable differences. This is a needed change, as this team is old; they are 42nd out of 48 in team average age, at 28.35 years.

The mixture of youth and experience isn’t all that unique, but what is unique for this team is that even the veterans will be playing in their first World Cup. One player who headlines this is defender Gustavo Gomez. He is the leader from the back, and after playing through four qualifying cycles, he finally gets to lead his team on the World’s stage. Los Guaranie’s hopes may fall on a young attacking midfielder, Diego Gomez. His ability to bomb down the right side or be played through the middle of the pitch. His attacking flair could be the key to a successful group stage. On the other side of the attack, Miguel Almiron now has the chance to reach his full potential for Paraguay; he has had a long and successful career, but has only scored three goals in competitive matches for his nation.

Ex-players and coaches of Paraguay feel this side could shock the world at this World Cup. Get points against co-host USA in match one, and that might feel like a real probability. It won’t be easy, though, as each of the other nations in this group prompts a different challenge to Paraguay's organized shape. Realistically, they could fight for a third-place finish if things don’t go perfectly.

Morocco's Achraf Hakimi talks to Paraguay's Miguel Almiron and coach Gustavo Alfaro.

CATHERINE STEENKESTE

Turkiye

For the first time since 2002, Turkiye has made it to the World Cup! Being in a UEFA qualification group with Spain meant their qualifying route had to go through the playoff route. They took care of Romania in their first playoff match, and then beat Kosovo; both were 1-0 wins.

A major reason Turkiye reached the World Cup for the first time in 24 years is their head coach, Vincenzo Montella. He came in to take the helm of this side in 2023 and has brought together a side that has real star power in midfield and attack. Montella sets his team up in a 4-2-3-1 and looks to use playmakers throughout the spine of his team to create attacks and organize defense. The attack is definitely the high point, and the defense is prone to bend-don’t-break mentality, but this team should be a favorite to win the group.

The stars of this Turkiye team are in the middle of the pitch: one is a grizzled veteran, the other a young attacking prodigy. Hakan Calhanoglu has 104 caps for Turkiye in central midfield. He sits a bit deeper to help organize attacks; he often finds the right pass to spring attacks. Usually, those forward through balls are played to Arda Guler, the 21-year-old wunderkind. He's the creative force for Turkiye; He’s the match-winner for this team and will have the hopes of a nation set on his shoulders.

Turkiye is the out-and-out favorite to win Group D. They’ve been a team on the rise and now have the chance to show they belong at the World Cup. Their first match against Australia could set the tone; if they drop points, that will let the other nations know Group D is up for grabs. It could all come down to the final group game when Turkiye takes on the USA; what a juicy matchup for the hopes of multiple nations making the knockout rounds!

Turkey's Arda Guler in action with North Macedonia's Nikola Serafimov

Umit Bektas

USA

The final co-host of the 2026 North America World Cup is the USA. This team is in the midst of what some might call a golden generation, just now entering the prime of their careers. Since the USA didn’t have to qualify, they relied on Summer tournaments and friendlies to gauge their team, and the results have been mixed. They won just one Nations League over the last four years, didn't win any Gold Cups, and didn’t make the splash they wanted to when invited to South America’s Copa America in 2024. Now they host a World Cup on home soil, looking to show the World they should be taken seriously.

US Soccer swung big when they picked their manager for this World Cup, bringing in Mauricio Pochettino to lead the team. The Argentine boss has tried to instill a culture where everyone fights for one another and gives everything for the crest on the shirt. This has helped create a culture of care and grit for the USA shirt. Poch lines his team up in a 3-4-2-1, utilizing three center-backs, wing-backs, a box midfield, and a lone striker. This allows the team to be flexible and attack and defend with more numbers than their opposition.

The USA has so many players to watch, but three of the most important ones all have some different pressures. Tim Ream, the 38-year-old centerback, has been named captain of the team, but his aging body has sometimes been off the pace in defending in space. Ream’s involvement will be key to how the USMNT plays. Another key player is Tyler Adams. The midfield commander will hunt for the ball and run until he can’t anymore. He is injury-prone, and there isn’t really a replacement for him if Adams goes out with an injury. Further up the field, the man tasked with the hopes and dreams of America is Christian Pulisic. His attacking spark on the wing will be watched; one goal and one assist in a recent World Cup tune-up may mean he’s getting hot at the right time.

The USA is projected to finish in the top two of this group, and that seems fair. They have home-field advantage and are better than two of the three opponents they’ll face. If they can get two wins or a win and a draw from the first two matches, they’ll be on their way to the knockouts. However, winning this group could be the difference between playing a high-level team and playing a more favorable nation in the Round of 32.

United States forward Brenden Aaronson (11) controls the ball against Portugal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Dale Zanine

Group D kicks off on June 12 & 14

While this is not a Group with a former champion, Group D has nations all facing the pressure of carrying their country on their shoulders. Turkiye and the USA should be the two favorites in this group, but the scrappy play from Australia and Paraguay could change that. This has been the case in past World Cups; expectations get the best of some teams and propel others to greatness.

It’s hard not to take into account recent form and, unfortunately, injuries when thinking about who will take the top spot in Group D. If Turkiye and the USA can stay healthy, then their match on the final matchday in Group D could decide who wins the group and who finishes second. Australia and Paraguay are fighting for third place, but will they do enough to be one of the top eight third-place teams and make the knockouts? We’ll have to watch to find out.

Matchday 1: 

Matchday 2: 

Matchday 3: 

For more reading on the World Cup, check out our other previews:

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D

Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L