Australia vs Turkey Tips, Odds & Prediction for World Cup 2026

* Odds supplied by Betway and accurate when this preview was written.

Australia kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Turkey at BC Place in Vancouver, and the game starts at 06:00 CAT on Sunday morning. Tony Popovic's Socceroos are the outsiders in Group D, up against a Turkey team built around Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz and skipper Hakan Calhanoglu. Every one of our World Cup betting tips sits in its own dedicated section.

Australia

Australia come into the tournament off a 1-1 friendly draw with Switzerland on 6 June, when debutant Tete Yengi saved a point, and a 1-0 defeat to Mexico a week earlier. As I see it Popovic will stick with his familiar back three of Souttar, Burgess and Circati, while the Bos and Irankunda partnership down the left is the most exciting weapon this side has had for years. Riley McGree misses the whole tournament after hurting his hamstring in the Championship play-off final, and that is a big blow in the middle of the park. I expect Australia to be tough to break down, but they lack the bite up front to trouble a Turkey team packed with attacking talent.

Expected Lineup: Ryan; Souttar, Burgess, Circati; Italiano, Devlin, O'Neill, Bos; Metcalfe, Toure, Irankunda.

Turkey

Vincenzo Montella has shaped Turkey into a team that blends the know-how of Calhanoglu and Merih Demiral with young stars Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, and I think they have the strongest squad in the group apart from the USA. I see them running the midfield and creating openings whenever they like, with Akturkoglu stretching play wide and Yildiz providing the spark around the box. No major injury worries were reported in the lead-up to the opener. With the USA and Paraguay still to come, a good start is vital for them.

Expected Lineup: Gunok; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Calhanoglu, Yuksek, Kokcu; Akturkoglu, Yildiz, Guler.

Australia are without McGree and do not have the quality in midfield to match Turkey, so I think Guler or Yildiz will find a way through sooner or later. The Socceroos should keep the score close and could nick a goal, but a Turkish win looks the most likely result. My forecast: Australia 1 Turkey 2.

BTTS: Yes (1.89)

My pick is BTTS: Yes, and the reasoning is simple: Australia are dangerous down the Bos and Irankunda side and from dead balls, and Turkey have looked shaky defensively in their warm-up games. Both teams should push players forward in this opener, so I am expecting goals at both ends. At 1.89 nothing else on the board offers better value.