Co-host
USA
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino · FIFA rank: 16 · Route: Co-host · Last World Cup: 2022 · Best result: Third place (1930)
Pochettino took over in 2024 and has organised an attacking core around Pulisic, Balogun and Reyna. Tyler Adams anchors the midfield; Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest provide the width. Home advantage in Los Angeles and Seattle is real — USA haven’t lost a competitive home game in over two years.
Key man: Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) — the X-factor in every USA attack.
Betting angle: USA to qualify is short; group winner price is the value play if you trust the home-advantage angle.
USA full squad
GK: Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Matt Turner.
DF: Max Arfsten, Sergino Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty.
MF: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Cristian Roldan, Malik Tillman.
FW: Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright, Alejandro Zendejas.
European seed
Turkey
Manager: Vincenzo Montella · FIFA rank: 22 · Route: UEFA play-offs winners · Last World Cup: 2002 · Best result: Third place (2002)
Turkey’s first World Cup in 24 years and arguably the most technically gifted Group D side. Montella has built around the most exciting young midfield in Europe — Arda Guler at Real Madrid, Kenan Yildiz at Juventus, Hakan Calhanoglu pulling strings at Inter. The squad has elite-level quality; tournament inexperience is the only question mark.
Key man: Arda Guler (Real Madrid) — creator-in-chief at just 21.
Betting angle: Group winner price is the value — Turkey’s midfield is the best in the group. Yildiz anytime goalscorer is the popular player special.
Turkey full squad
GK: Ugurcan Cakir, Altay Bayindir, Mert Gunok.
DF: Ferdi Kadioglu, Merih Demiral, Zeki Celik, Ozan Kabak, Mert Muldur, Abdulkerim Bardakci, Eren Elmali, Caglar Soyuncu, Samet Akaydin.
MF: Arda Guler, Can Uzun, Orkun Kokcu, Hakan Calhanoglu, Ismail Yuksek, Kaan Ayhan, Salih Ozcan.
FW: Kenan Yildiz, Baris Alper Yilmaz, Kerem Akturkoglu, Yunus Akgun, Oguz Aydin, Deniz Gul, Irfan Can Kahveci.
Asian qualifier
Australia
Manager: Tony Popovic · FIFA rank: 27 · Route: AFC Group C runners-up · Last World Cup: 2022 · Best result: Round of 16 (2006, 2022)
Australia chase a third straight World Cup knockout appearance under new manager Tony Popovic. Harry Souttar anchors the defence; the midfield is built around Jackson Irvine’s engine; Mathew Leckie still leading the line. Popovic’s Socceroos play with discipline and counter-attacking sharpness — they punch above their FIFA ranking.
Key man: Harry Souttar (Leicester City) — the defensive rock and aerial threat.
Betting angle: Australia to qualify (third-place route) is the realistic angle. Their style suits cagey games — under 2.5 goals lands often.
Australia full squad
GK: Maty Ryan, Paul Izzo, Patrick Beach.
DF: Aziz Behich, Jordan Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Lucas Herrington, Jacob Italiano, Harry Souttar, Kai Trewin.
MF: Cameron Devlin, Ajdin Hrustic, Jackson Irvine, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler.
FW: Nestory Irankunda, Mathew Leckie, Awer Mabil, Mohamed Toure, Nishan Velupillay, Cristian Volpato, Tete Yengi.
South American qualifier
Paraguay
Manager: Gustavo Alfaro · FIFA rank: 40 · Route: CONMEBOL sixth place · Last World Cup: 2010 · Best result: Quarter-finals (2010)
Paraguay’s first World Cup in 16 years. Alfaro has built a defensively organised side around Premier League and CONMEBOL experience — Diego Gomez at Brighton, Omar Alderete at Sunderland, Miguel Almiron at Atlanta United. Not goal-rich, but extremely hard to break down. The 2010 quarter-final run is the high-water mark they’re chasing.
Key man: Diego Gomez (Brighton) — the box-to-box midfielder driving Paraguay’s attacks.
Betting angle: Under 2.5 goals in every Paraguay match is a sensible angle; the qualification price is for outsider backers only.
Paraguay full squad
GK: Roberto Junior Fernandez, Orlando Gill, Gaston Olveira.
DF: Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso, Fabian Balbuena, Juan Jose Caceres, Jose Canale, Gustavo Gomez, Alexandro Maidana, Gustavo Velazquez.
MF: Damian Bobadilla, Gustavo Caballero, Andres Cubas, Matias Galarza, Diego Gomez, Mauricio Magalhaes, Briaian Ojeda, Alejandro Romero.
FW: Miguel Almiron, Gabriel Avalos, Alex Arce, Julio Enciso, Isidro Pitta, Antonio Sanabria, Ramon Sosa.
