After both suffering defeats in their respective World Cup openers, Türkiye and Paraguay will be desperate for a win when they clash on Friday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Türkiye came into the 2026 World Cup as the favorites to win Group D, also consisting of the U.S. men’s national team and Australia. Yet the European nation, who waited 24 years to return to the world stage, stumbled against the Socceroos in a shock 2–0 defeat on Sunday. Paraguay suffered an even worse fate, falling 4–1 to the USMNT in its opening match. Manager Gustavo Alfaro called the result a “very painful ​lesson” for a country that waited the last 16 years to compete in soccer’s grandest spectacle again. Each with zero points, there’s little room for error for Türkiye and Paraguay. Both sides know another defeat makes an early exit extremely likely, putting the pressure on their upcoming meeting in California. Compete against the world. | SPORTS ILLUSTRATEDTürkiye vs. Paraguay Score PredictionTürkiye Bounce Back With Comfortable WinThe pressure is on Arda Güler to will Türkiye to victory on Friday. | Hakan Akgun/Anadolu/Getty ImagesTürkiye will not wallow in its mistakes from last week. Despite the unfavorable result, Vincenzo Montella’s men dominated possession and took 30 shots against Australia, simply missing the end product when it mattered most. It’s hard to imagine the same happening again against a team that just conceded four goals, especially since Türkiye had scored in its last eight matches before its World Cup opener. All it takes is one magic moment from Arda Güler to break a game wide open. Paraguay will have also learned from its shortcomings against the USMNT, but the individual talent disparity between the two sides will likely be the difference-maker when it comes to the final scoreline. Head to head record: Türkiye and Paraguay have only met one previous time, an international friendly that ended in a goalless draw back in 1995. The two sides are the opposite of familiar foes.Türkiye’s bounce back gene: Dating all the way back to the 2024 Euros, Montella’s men have followed up a loss with a win every single time. The last time Türkiye failed to win in back-to-back games came in June 2024. Paraguay’s inconsistent attack: La Albirroja too often struggle to find the back of the net multiple times in a single game. Alfaro’s attack has only scored one goal in four of its last six outings.Prediction: Türkiye 2–0 ParaguayTürkiye Predicted Lineup vs. ParaguayKenan Yıldız is expected to slot into the XI barring any setbacks in his recovery. | Sports Illustrated.Türkiye was forced to kick off its 2026 World Cup campaign without Juventus star Kenan Yıldız in the starting lineup. The 21-year-old was still nursing a calf strain last week and only featured off the bench. The good news is Yıldız logged 45 minutes and looked on his way to full match fitness. He could get the nod on Friday, replacing Barış Alper Yılmaz to give the hosts a much-needed spark up top. Another change in the attack could come in the form of Deniz Gül. The 21-year-old was overlooked last time out for the experienced Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who only contributed two of his team’s 30 total shots against Australia in what was a poor outing.Türkiye predicted lineup vs. Paraguay (4-2-3-1): Çakir; Çelik, Demiral, Bardakcı, Kadıoğlu; Yüksek, Çalhanoğlu; Güler, Kökçü, Yildiz; Gül.Paraguay Predicted Lineup vs. TürkiyeAlexandro Maidana could make his World Cup debut on Friday. | Sports Illustrated.Alfaro will likely be without Gustavo Caballero for a second consecutive match. The winger is nursing a muscular issue that kept him out against the USMNT, and he has yet to recover. Ramón Sosa is also expected to be on the sidelines come Friday’s clash. The 26-year-old is dealing with ankle discomfort after a brief cameo against the Stars and Stripes. Júnior Alonso played 90 minutes last time out, but he massively struggled, opening the door for Alexandro Maidana to slot in at left back and make his World Cup debut. Mauricio will also hope to get the nod against Türkiye, but he likely once again will only feature off the bench despite scoring Paraguay’s only goal in its opening defeat. Paraguay predicted lineup vs. Türkiye (4-4-2): Gill; Cáceres, G. Gómez, Alderete, Maidana; D. Gómez, Cubas, Bobadilla, Almirón; Enciso, Sanabria.Pick Your World Cup Starting XIs!What Time Does Türkiye vs. Paraguay Kick Off?Location: Santa Clara, United StatesStadium: Levi’s Stadium Date: Friday, June 19 / Saturday, June 20Kick-off Time: 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT / 4 a.m. BST (June 20)Referee: Iván Barton (SLV)How to Watch Türkiye vs. Paraguay on TV, Live StreamCountryBroadcaster(s)United StatesFox Sports, fuboTV, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FOX OneMexico ViX MexicoCanadaTSN+, TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, RDS AppUnited KingdomITV1, STV, ITVX, STV PlayerREAD THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & ANALYSIS HEREAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow