Follow Us on Google
Turkey became the latest team to exit the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay on Saturday, despite dominating possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities in San Francisco.
An early strike from Matias Galarza after just 64 seconds proved decisive as Paraguay secured a vital victory that boosted their hopes of reaching the round of 32.
The South Americans made the perfect start when Julio Enciso’s pass found Galarza, who unleashed a powerful effort from outside the box to score the fastest goal of the tournament so far.
Turkey controlled large portions of the contest and were handed a numerical advantage before half-time when Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron was shown a red card following a VAR review. The midfielder became the first player at the tournament to be sent off under FIFA’s new rule prohibiting players from covering their mouths during confrontations.
Despite playing against 10 men for the entire second half, Vincenzo Montella’s side failed to find a breakthrough. Merih Demiral, Can Uzun and substitute Deniz Gul all came close, while Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill produced several important saves to preserve his team’s lead.
Other News
The defeat means Turkey have lost both group matches and remain without a goal after registering 62 shots across their opening two games. According to Opta, it is the highest number of attempts without scoring over any two-match period at a World Cup since records began in 1966.
Turkey enjoyed 78.5 per cent possession against Paraguay after recording 71.6 per cent in their opening defeat to Australia, but their inability to convert chances ultimately proved costly.
Paraguay, meanwhile, showed resilience and defensive discipline to withstand sustained pressure and keep their qualification hopes alive. The South Americans now know victory over Australia in their final Group D fixture will secure a place in the knockout stage.
For Turkey, however, the result brings a disappointing end to their World Cup campaign, with their final group game against the United States now carrying only pride and ranking points.
