Paraguay seeks recovery against Turkey in World Cup 2026 qualifiers

Paraguay's national football team, the Albirroja, is set to play a decisive match against Turkey in the second round of Group D of the 2026 World Cup. This game comes after a significant 4-1 defeat to the United States in their opening match.

Coach Gustavo Alfaro plans to make two tactical adjustments to the squad for this critical encounter. Matías Galarza will replace Damián Bobadilla in midfield, and Isidro Pitta will take the place of Antonio Sanabria in the forward line. The rest of the team's structure will remain unchanged.

The projected lineup for Paraguay includes Orlando Gill; Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, and Junior Alonso in defense; Matías Galarza, Diego Gómez, Andrés Cubas, and Miguel Almirón in midfield; and Julio Enciso and Isidro Pitta leading the attack.

This match is of paramount importance for Paraguay. Another loss would severely jeopardize their chances of advancing to the next stage of the tournament. A win, however, would provide a much-needed boost and keep their qualification aspirations within reach heading into the final group stage match.

The game is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 19, at 8:00 PM California time (00:00 Saturday in Paraguay) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, which has a capacity of 68,000 spectators. The match will be officiated by El Salvador's Iván Barton.