Group D fixtures
Sun 14 Jun05:00 BST
BC Place, Vancouver
Sat 20 Jun05:00 BST
Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara
Fri 26 Jun03:00 BST
SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Key players to watch
Arda Güler
AM · Real Madrid
At 21, already the team's main man and X-factor; a season of 14 assists and 6 goals marked him as one of Europe's best young playmakers. Montella builds the attack around him.
X-factor No.10 · free kicks
Kenan Yıldız
FW · Juventus
The 20-year-old Juventus star (11 goals, 10 assists in Serie A); his chemistry with Güler is Türkiye's defining edge.
Goals & assists
Hakan Çalhanoğlu
MF · Inter Milan · C
Captain and tempo-setter with elite dead-ball quality; controls games from deep and takes the set pieces.
Leader · pens & free kicks
Kerem Aktürkoğlu
W · Fenerbahçe
Direct, dangerous wide forward who adds pace and goals from the flank.
Wide threat
Orkun Kökçü
MF · Beşiktaş
Energetic, creative midfielder who links play between the lines alongside Çalhanoğlu.
Midfield creator
Merih Demiral
CB ·
Experienced, aggressive centre-back who anchors the defence and is a set-piece threat himself.
Defensive anchor
Goals & output
A dangerous, youthful attack: Güler pulls the strings as the No.10, Yıldız scores and creates, Aktürkoğlu and Barış Alper Yılmaz threaten wide, and Çalhanoğlu adds goals and penalties from midfield. Plenty of ways to hurt teams.
Set-piece duties
Penalties
Hakan Çalhanoğlu
Free kicks
Çalhanoğlu / Arda Güler
Corners
Çalhanoğlu / Arda Güler
A real strength: Çalhanoğlu is one of the world's best dead-ball takers and shares free kicks and corners with Arda Güler, who is also a superb striker of a set piece. Çalhanoğlu takes the penalties. Strong set-piece value in attacking markets.
Discipline read
▲An emotional side at times — Çalhanoğlu and Demiral can pick up bookings — but Montella's possession-based 4-2-3-1 limits defensive exposure. Watch player-card markets around the leaders.
Recent form
Back at a World Cup for the first time since their famous third-place run in 2002 — only a third appearance overall. They finished second in their UEFA qualifying group and came through the playoffs by beating Kosovo, with a strong 6W-1L-1D record including the playoffs, plus a Euro 2024 quarter-final on the CV. Rising steadily under Montella.
Head-to-head history
v Australia (14 Jun)
Limited history
Scarce prior meetings — an even opener in Vancouver against another side eyeing the knockouts.
v Paraguay (20 Jun)
No meaningful history
Effectively a first competitive meeting in Santa Clara, potentially key to the qualification race.
v USA (26 Jun)
Met in 2025
The sides met in a June 2025 friendly; this SoFi finale could decide top spot in Group D.
Underdog & betting read
The verdict
A live top-two contender and arguably the group's most dangerous side after the hosts. If the Güler-Yıldız axis clicks they can beat anyone; defensive solidity is the question. Value in Türkiye to qualify, the young duo's scorer/assist markets, and set-piece goals.