The Albirroja is preparing for a crucial clash against Turkey this Friday at midnight (Paraguay time) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for the second round of Group D in the 2026 World Cup. After a tough 4-1 loss to the United States in their opener, Paraguay needs to bounce back to keep their chances of advancing to the round of 16 alive.
Coach Gustavo Alfaro confirmed two changes from the opening match: Matías Galarza replaces Damián Bobadilla, and Isidro Pitta comes in for Antonio Sanabria up front. The likely lineup is: Orlando Gill; Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, and Junior Alonso; Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza; Diego Gómez, Julio Enciso, Miguel Almirón; Isidro Pitta.
Good news for the Argentine coach is the recovery of Ramón Sosa, who had been ruled out due to ankle discomfort in recent training sessions. The forward trained normally with the group and will be available on the bench. On the other hand, Gustavo Caballero continues with specialized training due to muscle overload and will not be available.
In the pre-match press conference, Alfaro took responsibility for the results and asked that criticism be directed solely at him. "The World Cup ends and I will leave, but the players will continue," he said, a statement that raised uncertainty about his future leading the Paraguayan national team after the tournament. The Argentine coach also made a point to distinguish expectation from illusion, reminding that Paraguay returns to the World Cup after 16 years of absence. "Spain, France, Argentina can have expectations. We have illusions," he stated.
Paraguay’s situation in Group D is delicate. Another loss would mathematically eliminate the Albirroja. A draw would still allow them to fight for a spot among the third-placed teams but would depend on other results. A win would put the team back in contention for one of the two direct spots to the round of 16.
Turkey also arrives under pressure after being surprisingly defeated 2-0 by Australia in their opener. The European team, led by Italian Vincenzo Montella, also needs a win to avoid early elimination. The only previous meeting between the two teams was a friendly played in 1995 in Chile during the Centennial Cup, when Paraguay came out victorious.
The match will be officiated by Salvadoran referee Iván Barton, with assistants from El Salvador and Nicaragua, and VAR will be managed by Caleb Wales from Trinidad and Tobago.
Update - 20.06.2026 06:04 PYT
Paraguay responded in Group D of the 2026 World Cup by beating Turkey 1-0 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Matias Galarza scored early, giving La Albirroja a crucial win after its 4-1 opening defeat against the United States.
Gustavo Alfaro's team had to protect the lead in difficult circumstances, playing part of the match with one fewer player. The victory kept Paraguay alive in the race for the next round and put the team back into contention after a difficult start to the tournament.
The result also deepened Turkey's pressure after its opening loss to Australia. With the 1-0 win, Paraguay recovered confidence and turned its next group match into another decisive step toward qualification.
Before kickoff, Alfaro had described the match as a final and asked that criticism be aimed at him rather than the players. On the field, Paraguay answered with defensive discipline and enough resilience to preserve a narrow lead that may prove decisive in the standings.