FIFA World Cup Group D 2026 Preview

2026 FIFA World Cup Group D matches will take place from June 12 to 25. Group D includes one of the hosts, the United States, as well as Turkey, Australia and Paraguay. Across the full history of the World Cup, all countries have progressed from the group and reached at least the Round of 16.

The United States is considered the group favorite, although Turkey is given almost the same chances. The clearest underdog is Australia, but they cannot be written off either. Here, the full schedule, team overview and odds can be found.

In FIFA World Cup D Group, most attention is on the hosts, but it will also be very interesting to see what kind of support the USA national team receives, as this sport is not among the most popular in the country. The group stands out because it is very balanced, with no team clearly ahead in terms of talent.

Both USA and Australia played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while Paraguay returned to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, and Turkey last played as far back as 2002, when they finished third. For Turkey, this will be the third World Cup in their history.

World Cup bookmaker odds for winning the group or finishing TOP 2:

Five of the six group matches will be played in the United States: Inglewood, Seattle and Santa Clara. The only group match between Australia and Turkey will be played in Vancouver, Canada. Full Group D schedule:

FIFA World Cup Group D does not have a clear favorite or a main underdog. The longest odds in the group are given for Australia, but this national team reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, so they certainly cannot be written off too early.

The United States enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup with greater pressure, as they will be playing at home. It can be said that the group draw was favorable, because the opponents are at a similar level and one bad match will not close the door in the fight for a place in the knockout stage.

In this team, everything revolves around coach Mauricio Pochettino and the main star Christian Pulisic. Failure to reach the Round of 32 would be a fiasco, but winning the group will not be easy.

Turkey returns to the FIFA World Cup after a solid performance at EURO 2024, where they reached the quarter-finals and lost 1:2 against Netherlands. The national team will have both the experienced Hakan Calhanoglu and young talents Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz in the squad.

If the national team shows the football seen two years ago, it would not be a surprise if the group is won not by the United States, but by Turkey.

Paraguay returns to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010, and that is already a good achievement. Not much is expected at the World Cup itself, but the group is favorable for doing something more than simply taking part.

In qualification, Paraguay was seen playing defensive football. They do not score many goals themselves, but they also do not concede many. This is another reason why many draws can be expected in this group.

According to the best online bookmakers, Australia is considered the underdog of this group, but the national team can certainly fight for points, and it would not be surprising if they still had a chance to reach the next stage before the final match.

For Australia, this will be the sixth FIFA World Cup in a row, and in 2022 they even managed to reach the Round of 16. There are no opponents in the group who stand out strongly in terms of talent, which are usually the teams Australia struggle to play against.

FIFA World Cup Group D does not have the most prominent national teams with the biggest talents, but intriguing and high-level players will certainly be seen here.

The main player for the United States is Christian Pulisic, but Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie should also be highlighted. The core of the national team will consist of the main players who also played at the 2022 World Cup. Among them are also Chris Richards and Folarin Balogun. Johny Cardoso will miss the World Cup due to injury.

The Turkey national team arrives at the 2026 World Cup with the EURO 2024 core, where a solid result was achieved. The main players in the national team are captain Hakan Calhanoglu from Inter Milan, Arda Guler from Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz from Juventus.

Veteran Jackson Irvine is still important for the Australia national team, while Harry Couttar and Jordan Bos can also be highlighted. Mathew Ryan and Alessandro Circati will also be seen in the squad.

Paraguay’s squad stands out for its accumulated experience. Most of the players have been playing together for many years, which is what allows them to have an excellent defense. Among the main players in the national team are Miguel Almiron, Julio Enciso and Diego Leon.

Group D does not have a clear favorite that can be found in almost all other groups. Here, the United States and Turkey should fight for first place, and the fact that these national teams will meet in the final group match adds extra interest.

Paraguay arrives at the World Cup with excellent defensive play, and Australia can also defend solidly, so it will not be easy for the group leaders, the United States and Turkey, in any match. It seems that Group D matches could be especially low-scoring.

It is possible to reach the Round of 32 even by finishing third, but FIFA World Cup Group D looks like a group where the team finishing third will not collect many points. Many draws can be expected here, so to reach the Round of 32, it is likely that second place will be needed.

Odds of 2.25 are given for the United States and Turkey to take the first two places. Considering the strength of the group, this looks like a pick with strong value.