No goals in two games
Türkiye is eliminated from the World Cup
Updated June 20, 2026 – 7:23 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
In a heated game, Turkey played in the majority for a long time. In the end, the team loses its second World Cup duel and has to say goodbye to its dreams prematurely.
Early shock, no longer a chance of the knockout round: Turkey has to bury its World Cup dreams early after the next disgrace. Coach Vincenzo Montella’s team lost 0-1 (0-1) to Paraguay after a lightning goal from Matias Galarza (2nd minute) despite being outnumbered in a sometimes wild “final” in which emotions ran high several times. The group final against the USA, who are the group winners due to the Turkish defeat, is therefore meaningless in terms of sport.
The Turkish national team tried to find an answer, but even with one more man she couldn’t take advantage of her chances. The South Americans threw themselves into every duel. Turkey couldn’t find any solutions against the compact defense of “Albirroja”, and they were also unlucky: a header from Mert Müldür landed on the aluminum post (35′). After the break the game remained competitive, and coach Montella also received a yellow card (63′). Turkey initially kept up the pressure. Paraguay remained dangerous, especially after transitions.
Türkiye’s initial defeat against Australia (0-2), which started the tournament euphorically, had caused a lot of unrest in advance. Coach Montella described the harsh public criticism as “very disappointing” and called for solidarity and respect for his players.
Paraguay, World Cup quarter-finalists in 2010 and appearing in the finals for the first time since then, can continue to dream of the knockout rounds.