It’s getting closer folks; the big domestic leagues wrap up this weekend, then all eyes will be on Canada, Mexico and the USA where the greatest show on earth is ready to explode into life.
World Cup Group D kicks off on 12th June when hosts USA take on Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium and 24 hours later Australia face Turkey in Vancouver. The World Cup 2026 betting odds say the winner will not come from Group D, though the USA and Turkey are certainly not there to make up the numbers and there are plenty of world class players in this group.
So let’s look at the SBOTOP pick of three stars who will hit your screens in June; and get you off your seats.
Antonee Robinson: USA
Mauricio Pochettino’s USA, captained by AC Milan star Christian Pulisic, who is sure to meet his own quota of World Cup 2026 highlights, will start the competition with high hopes and will certainly expect to make a safe passage through Group D. Ranked 16 in the world by FIFA the Stars and Stripes have featured in 12 World Cups, finishing third way back in 1930. If they are to go deep in the competition the USA will need their experienced players to bring along the likes of AS Monaco’s Folarin Balogun and Bayer Leverkusen’s Malik Tillman, and now Fulham wingback Antonee Robinson falls into that category.
He made his full international debut back in 2018 at the age of 20 and Robinson is in the prime of his career, back to his best after recovering from injury mid-season. Known for his speed, energy and attacking instinct Robinson was the Fulham Player of the Year in 2024, and the USA Player of the Year in the same season and is considered one of the best assist-making full backs in European football.
Hakan Calhanoglu: Turkey
Managed by former AC Milan coach Vincenzo Montella, Turkey are one of the most exciting nations to watch and the likes of young stars Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler are set to light up the tournament, and the focal point of this team is captain Hakan Calhanoglu. With 22 goals in 104 internationals, he is a Turkey legend and, at 32 years of age, still has plenty to offer. Calhanoglu was a key player this season as Inter Milan won a third Scudetto in six campaigns and has been one of the best players in Serie A for a decade, first signing for AC Milan in 2017.
As part of Turkey’s European Championship teams since 2016, Calhanoglu has modelled himself on former German born Turkish player Mesut Ozil and has the skill and vision to draw comparisons. And he is one of the best set piece specialists in the world, with a superb, powerful and accurate right footed free kick, and he can bend a ball like Beckham!
Diego Gomez Paraguay
23-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion star Diego Gomez has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, following his £14m signing from MLS side Inter Miami in December 2024. A young central midfielder, he is one of the club’s most exciting recent recruits from South America. He began his career in Paraguay with Club Libertad, a team well known for producing young talent, and Gomez made his full international against Mexico in 2022, and he was part of the Paraguay U20 team which won the 2022 South American Games. Subsequently captaining the Paraguay U23 team, Gomez has an experienced head on young shoulders, and he scored his first senior international goal in 2025, against Brazil during Paraguay’s CONMEBOL qualifying campaign, as his nation qualified on the same points as the Selecao, Uruguay and Colombia.
Gomez made his Brighton debut in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in May 2025 and he scored his first Premier League goal as the Seagulls slapped Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 at the end of that campaign. This season he has established himself as one of the first names on the Brighton team-sheet, scoring six goals and providing an assist for Fabian Hurzeler’s Europa chasing team. Gomez has recently been suffering with a knee injury but he made a substitute appearance in the 1-0 defeat away to Leeds United, and he is due to make a start when the Seagulls host Manchester United on Sunday as they try to secure seventh place in a competitive chase in the top half of the Premier League table.
Australia makes up Group D, but I reckon the qualification places will be fought out between the USA, Turkey and Paraguay, and these three stars will be at the centre of the action.
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