Group D at the 2026 FIFA World Cup consists of the teams: the United States, Paraguay, Türkiye, and Australia. While the group looks somewhat balanced, the U.S. team seems to be an obvious favorite due to its home-field advantage. However, with the current 48-team format, which will allow some third-place teams to advance, every goal matters.

Overall FIFA Rankings

Here is how Group D currently ranks:

• United States (16th)
• Türkiye (22nd)
• Australia (27th)
• Paraguay (40th)

United States

As co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, the United States enters the tournament under significant pressure. Coach Mauricio Pochettino has put together a talented team, but consistency isn’t their strong suit. Plus, in the past, they have struggled against strong defensive teams.

In 2022, although the team managed to get to the Round of 16 matches, the players lacked a clear, aggressive strategy. In other words, they played their matches “too safely” and were knocked out by a decisive 1-3 loss against the Netherlands.

Christian Pulisic is the team’s centerpiece, while Weston McKennie and Tim Weah provide solid midfield energy. To their favor, the U.S. won against Paraguay (2-1) and Australia (2-1) in recent friendlies.

Given their current ranking and their recent victories over Paraguay and Australia, the U.S. team is widely expected to finish first in the group.

Türkiye

With a FIFA rank of 22, Türkiye isn’t that far behind the United States. Although they haven’t had a World Cup appearance since 2002, they managed to finish third, picking up a bronze medal that year. This current generation of players is younger and more technical, which means Türkiye may be one of the most underrated teams in the tournament.

Out of Türkiye’s last 8 friendlies, they won 6. The two they didn’t win were against Spain (losing in September 2025, but then drawing 2-2 in the November 18th, 2025 match). Türkiye has dramatically improved its defensive tactics, and the team will include a few strong players. Players to watch include Arda Güler and Hakan Çalhanoğlu.

Here are Türkiye’s recent stats:

• Ball possession: 54.8%
• Accurate passes: 85%
• Overall rating: 7.0 (only 1% of teams achieve a rating of above 7.2)

Türkiye’s first match on June 13th will be against Australia, a team that’s essentially their equal on paper. If Türkiye wins this game, they will need to challenge the U.S. for the top spot in the group.

Australia

Coming in at 26th, Australia (the Socceroos) is another underrated team. Like the U.S., the team reached the Round of 16 in 2022 and suffered a 2-1 loss against the current champions, Argentina. A narrow loss against the best team in 2022 is no small feat. If Australia has made any improvements to its team, it could win the Group D matches.

The team may not have individual star players, but they are very organized and boast a strong defensive structure. On the downside, they did lose their friendly matches to the U.S (2-1), Colombia (3-0), and Venezuela (1-0).

One concern with the team is their attacking efficiency. In past games, Australia seemed to struggle against strong defensive teams. Australia’s most important match is their first one, against Türkiye. A draw would keep them in the race, but a loss would put an incredible amount of pressure on their later match against the U.S.

Paraguay

Paraguay currently ranks 40th, but they will be returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 under coach Gustavo Alfaro. In 2010, they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated after a 1-0 loss to Spain. The team also did well in the Copa America tournament, advancing to the quarter-finals, before losing 4-3 to Peru in a penalty shootout.

This year, the team is looking to make an impact with veteran players, like Miguel Almirón and Gustavo Gomez, and young talent, like Julio Enciso and Diego Gómez. Their top scorer is Antonio Sanabria.

Which Matches Could Be Closest?

Here is the Group D schedule:

• USA v Paraguay — Los Angeles Stadium — June 12, Friday
• Australia v Türkiye — BC Place Vancouver — June 13, Saturday
• Türkiye v Paraguay — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium — June 19, Friday
• USA v Australia — Seattle Stadium — June 19, Friday
• Türkiye v USA — Los Angeles Stadium — June 25, Thursday
• Paraguay v Australia — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium — June 25, Thursday

Türkiye vs Australia

The Türkiye vs Australia match is probably the tightest game in the group. Both teams tend to show strength in the same areas. It could be a draw, go to a penalty shootout, or be decided by a narrow margin. Türkiye may have the edge technically, but Australia has more tournament experience.

USA vs Australia

Another tight match will be the USA vs Australia on June 19th. Both teams made it to the Round of 16 in 2022. And, as noted above, Australia was defeated narrowly by Argentina in that tournament. Australia may not have any standout players, but their defensive and aggressive strategies could dominate the game.

Türkiye vs USA

Another tense game to watch will be on June 25th when Türkiye plays the U.S. While the USA team is the clear favorite, Türkiye has a lot to prove. And the creative mix of veteran players and young talent could become a dangerous surprise.

Possible Group Finish Ranking

Given the rankings and the teams’ strengths and weaknesses, here is a possible final ranking:

• United States
• Türkiye
• Australia
• Paraguay

The United States should win the group, but Australia looks dangerous, and Turkey may become one of the breakout teams of the tournament. Paraguay may not be a favorite, but it could disrupt the expected standings.