A couple of third-placers in this group.
Onto Group D starring the last of the three hosts USA, Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. All four nations have reached the knockout stages in their histories and two of them even finished third (USA in 1930 and Turkey in 2002).
USA
The manager
Mauricio Pochettino. The former Spurs, PSG, and Chelsea manager has been in charge of the USMNT since 2024 and hasn’t had an auspicious tenure so far, with notable defeats to Canada, Turkey, and Switzerland in his first year in charge, and then losing to Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final last year. I won’t include the 3 warm-up friendly losses this year. Maybe they won’t be a sign of things to come.
Last World Cup
They reached the round of 16, losing 3–1 to the Netherlands.
Who’s getting the goals
Despite stuttering form over the last few years, they do have players who can score goals. Christian Pulisic is the biggest player in the squad and they’ll be looking to him to score. There’s also Folarin Balogun, Timothy Weah, and Ricardo Pepi.
If they were a video game, they would be…
Fortnite. All alleged style but very little substance when it comes to the crunch. A heavily funded effort that remains popular amongst fans and not much else.
Paraguay
The manager
Gustavo Alfaro. The Argentine coached Ecuador at the 2022 World Cup so he has pedigree at this stage.
Last World Cup
That was back in 2010 when Paraguay reached the quarter-finals, losing to eventual champions Spain 1–0.
Who’s getting the goals
Good question. The average international goal tally for the strikers in the squad is only 2.8, which isn’t the be-all-and-end-all but even their domestic campaigns have been patchy on the goal front. Gabriel Ávalos has 7 in 11 for Independiente this season which is the kind of form you need going into a World Cup. There’s also Isidro Pitta, who looks is nicknamed Viking because he looks like one from the show Vikings. Has nothing to do with scoring but thought I’d mention it anyway.
If they were a video game, they would be…
One of those games you find in a discount bin. You take a look and chuckle softly to yourself as you remember when it was somewhat popular back in the day. Pretty unassuming otherwise.
Australia
The manager
Tony Popovic. The former Crystal Palace defender worked his way up in Australia, coaching Melbourne Victory before taking the Australia job in September 2024. He has a pretty good record so far and fans will expect them to get out of the group for the second finals in a row.
Last World Cup
2022, where they reached the round of 16 after 1–0 wins against Denmark and Tunisia helped them finish second in a group with France. They lost 2–1 to eventual champions Argentina in the knockouts.
Who’s getting the goals
Mohamed Touré comes into this World Cup with fantastic form, scoring 10 in 12 games for Norwich City. Mathew Leckie hasn’t been in great form but he’ll want to increase his goals tally (he’s the joint-top scorer in the current squad alongside Jackson Irvine with 14 international goals).
If they were a video game, they would be…
Super Meat Boy. Takes time and effort but eventually things start falling into place. Just one game at a time.
Turkey
The manager
Vincenzo Montella. Hey, I remember him! The former Roma striker and AC Milan coach has been in charge of Turkey since 2023 and done remarkably well, qualifying for Euro 2024 and reaching the quarter-finals before qualifying for this World Cup.
Last World Cup
2002. The one where they reached the semi-finals and lost to eventual champions Brazil but they ended the tournament in 3rd place. It was quite a journey and while it’s unlikely that they’ll do the same again, they’ll have some of their historic fairy tale runs in their minds.
Who’s getting the goals
Arda Güler. We all remember that incredible goal at Euro 2024 and after winning the Champions League Young Player of the Season and La Liga Goal of the Season in 2025/26, he’s a shoe-in for some goals in North America this summer. Kerem Aktürkoğlu will want to be in there too alongside Kenan Yıldız and Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
If they were a video game, they would be…
X-Men games. When they’re good, they’re really good. But when they’re bad, you wanna forget they ever existed. I know I already compared a team to an X-Men game. This one fits better. Especially because I could see Rüştü Reçber as Wolverine.