Group D — Group Standings
Match schedule, current standings and our prediction for Group D at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Standings
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
United States
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 |
Turkey
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 |
Australia
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 |
Paraguay
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Match Schedule
United States
vs
Paraguay
Australia
vs
Turkey
Paraguay
vs
Turkey
United States
vs
Australia
United States
vs
Turkey
Paraguay
vs
Australia
Our Prediction
Race for 1st place
The hosts USA are the firmest pick for first place in Group D, with a deeply favourable schedule, unprecedented home crowd support, and a settled core under Mauricio Pochettino. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun give the USMNT enough top-five-league quality to beat Australia, Paraguay and probably also Turkey. The pivotal match is matchday 2 vs. Turkey at SoFi Stadium — an American win likely seals first; a Turkish win turns it into a final-day shootout.
Race for 2nd place
Turkey are the most likely runners-up. Vincenzo Montella has assembled a stylish, technically gifted team around Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, with Premier League and Serie A experience throughout the spine. Turkey should beat both Australia and Paraguay, leaving the USA fixture as the decider for first place. Even with a defeat to the hosts, six points ensures second place comfortably.
Third-place playoff slot
Australia are the most likely team to claim the third-place playoff slot, edging out Paraguay through tournament experience. Tony Popovic's Socceroos lack stars but are well-organised, defensively resilient and have a clear plan: take points off Paraguay on matchday 1, play for a draw against the USA, and try to upset Turkey. Four points is the realistic ceiling — likely enough for one of the eight best-thirds places.
Bottom of the group
Paraguay are the most likely group bottom. Gustavo Alfaro's Albirroja qualified surprisingly well from CONMEBOL, but the team is young, lacks a top-European-league spine, and faces three teams with significantly better squads. The opening match vs. Australia is their only realistic chance for points; defeats in the other two games are highly likely.