There is a rather delicious subplot running through this evening's World Cup 2026 warm up between Turkey and Paraguay, and it concerns a ginger bearde...
There is a rather delicious subplot running through this evening's World Cup 2026 warm up between Turkey and Paraguay, and it concerns a ginger bearded forward who very nearly missed the whole thing. Isidro Pitta, the Red Bull Bragantino striker nicknamed the Viking, has been handed a surprise start for La Albirroja tonight. The story gets better. Pitta was so convinced he would not make the final 23 man squad that he had already booked a family holiday to Spain during the tournament. You can almost hear the travel agent groaning from here. That change of fortune speaks volumes about the man's relentless character.Pitta is no shrinking violet when the chips are down. GoalZaza's World Cup player guide, as collated by GoalZaza, describes him as a fighter, a tireless worker, and a constant nuisance for opposition defences. That is exactly the sort of pest you want leading the line when the Turks are trying to play out from the back. Paraguay's manager clearly sees something in the Viking's movement that could unsettle Turkey's backline in the early exchanges. It is a gamble worth taking, especially in a friendly where the real prize is building momentum before the group phase begins.Turkey, for their part, will look to exploit any rustiness from a Paraguayan side still integrating Pitta into the starting eleven. The home crowd will demand energy and verticality, but Paraguay's low block and willingness to break with pace could make this a far tighter contest than the form book suggests. Keep an eye on the transitional phases. If Pitta can hold up the ball and bring his midfield runners into play, Paraguay might just pull off a minor upset in front of a sleepy 4am BST audience back in Britain.For the neutral, this fixture offers a glimpse of two nations with very different tactical identities trying to sharpen their clay before the real drama begins. Turkey will want to impose their technical superiority, while Paraguay will rely on grit and the unexpected menace of a man who nearly swapped the World Cup for a sun lounger. Squeaky bum time Not yet. But for Pitta, every minute on that pitch is a bonus he never saw coming.
