Turkey v Paraguay: World Cup 2026 – live

Turkey fans will be thrilled to see their two starlets, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, starting their first World Cup match together.

>Guler, the Real Madrid creative attacking midfielder, was kept largely at bay by Australia’s resolute defence a week ago, but still managed to deliver some sneaky through-balls and find small pockets of space in and around the penalty area. He’s also a free-kick specialist, so Paraguay will need to be careful not to give away too many fouls outside their own area.

>Yildiz, meanwhile, made an immediate impact when he came on in the second half against the Socceroos. The Juventus winger added a new dimension to Turkey’s otherwise-muted left-sided attack, isn’t afraid to take on defenders one v one, and delivers some pin-point crosses and cut-backs for teammates to run onto.

>With Guler moved into central midfield and Yunus Akgun brought onto the right side, the connection the two 21-year-olds can make could be the difference today.