Australia vs Turkey Prediction: Yellow for Yilmaz in Vancouver

The USA and Paraguay kick off Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup before attention turns to Australia and Turkey, who face off against each other at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia (Saturday 9pm local, Sunday 5am BST, ITV).

Below are my Australia vs Turkey predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get £30 in Sports Free Bets & £20 in Bet Builder Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get £30 in Sports Free Bets & £20 in Bet Builder Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. T&Cs Apply.

Team News

Norwich City striker Mohamed Toure missed Australia training on Wednesday, sparking major concern, but there are no suggestions that he will miss out against Turkey, and all being well, he will start as Tony Popovic’s number nine.

Watford winger Nestory Irankunda may have to settle for a place on the bench in his country’s first group game.

World Cup Odds

As for Turkey, Juventus star Kenan Yildiz is a major doubt for his team's first game due to a calf injury; the 21-year-old didn’t feature in either of the Crescent-Stars’ warm-up matches earlier this month.

Real Madrid playmaker Arda Guler is fit, though, and he’s set to start for Vincenzo Montella’s men, as is Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu.

Head-to-head record

Australia and Turkey have only met twice before, in the space of four days in May 2004, with the Crescent-Stars winning 3-1 and 1-0.

Australia vs Turkey Odds

Australia are 4/1, or a 20% chance, to kick off their World Cup campaign with a win, while Turkey have been installed as 8/11 favourites, implying a 57.9% probability of success.

The draw is offered at 13/5, with both teams to score at 1/1.

Double Delight & Hat-trick Heaven: Get DOUBLE or TREBLE the odds if your winning First Goalscorer bet scores a second and third.

Player to be Carded (Sub Switch) - Baris Yilmaz (TUR) @ 3/1

Baris Yilmaz received 11 yellow cards for Galatasaray in the 2024/25 season, and last term, he was booked eight times.

The 26-year-old was sent off for Turkey in one of their World Cup qualifiers, a 3-2 victory over Georgia last September.

Despite only two of his five appearances coming as a starter, Yilmaz averaged 1.8 fouls per game, and in last season’s Super Lig, he averaged 1.6 fouls per game for Gala.

Yilmaz is likely to line up on the left-hand side of Turkey’s attack against Australia, who are set to start LASK’s Jacob Italiano as their right wing-back. Italiano averaged 1.1 fouls won per game in the 2025/26 Austrian Bundesliga campaign, and in the Socceroos’ final friendly, a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on 6 June, he was fouled once, by Nati’s left winger Noah Okafor, who was booked for that offence.

Betfred's Sub Switch offer rolls your bet to the oncoming substitute, so you stay in the game, even when your player doesn’t.

Player 1+ Shots on Target (Sub Switch) - Harry Souttar (AUS) @ 3/1

Leicester City centre-back Harry Souttar has endured a difficult time with injury over the last 18 months, rupturing his Achilles tendon on loan at Sheffield United on Boxing Day 2024, with that injury, and a subsequent knee surgery, keeping him out of action until April of this year.

The 27-year-old started Leicester’s final two games of the EFL Championship season and began both of Australia’s pre-World Cup friendlies, so he looks to have proven his fitness and is a sure-fire starter for the Socceroos in North America.

The 6ft 6in defender is a huge presence at set-pieces, forcing a save in both of his comeback games for the Foxes before departing for international duty with Australia.

At 3/1, he’s decent value to get his head on the end of a dangerous delivery and, at the very least, force Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir into making a save.