Turkey became the second team eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, joining Haiti in an early exit after losing 1-0 to Paraguay at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in a Group D second-round fixture. The defeat leaves Turkey bottom of the group with no points.
Paraguay’s winner arrived with extraordinary speed. Matías Galarza struck after just one minute and five seconds, driving a powerful shot from outside the penalty area into the right corner to hand his side an advantage they would not relinquish.
Turkey pushed hard for an equaliser throughout, with Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız both prominent in attack. Their efforts produced several decent chances, including long-range efforts and attempts inside the box, but Paraguay’s goalkeeper Orlando Gil was equal to each of them. Deniz Gül headed narrowly wide, Mert Müldür tested the defence, and Arda Güler and Kaan Ayhan both tried their luck late on, without success.
Paraguay, for their part, sat deeper in the second half and absorbed pressure while threatening on the counter through Julio Enciso and Diego Gómez. A key moment came in first-half stoppage time when Miguel Almirón was sent off following a VAR review for covering his mouth, the first application at this tournament of FIFA’s new rule against discriminatory gestures. Paraguay saw out the match with ten men.
The result lifts Paraguay to 3 points, level with Australia ahead of a direct meeting between the two sides in the final group round. The United States, meanwhile, confirmed their qualification from Group D after beating Australia 2-0 in their second match, reaching 6 points and securing top spot.
For Turkey, the exit is early and categorical. The head-to-head record against both Paraguay and Australia works against them even in a points-equality scenario, meaning no realistic path to the knockout stage remains.
