Turkey’s hopes of advancing past the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have officially evaporated following a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay at the Levi’s Stadium.
Arda Güler and his teammates had already suffered a 2-0 loss to Australia in their opening match. With this consecutive defeat against Paraguay, their mathematical chances of reaching the Round of 32 have completely vanished.
Paraguay clinched the victory thanks to a lightning-fast goal by Matías Galarza, which came just 65 seconds into the match. The South American side managed to hold onto their lead despite playing the entire second half with ten men, following the red card handed to Jorge Almirón in the final moments of the first half.
With this result, Turkey remains at the bottom of the table with zero points. Even if they manage to defeat the USA in their final group fixture while Paraguay or Australia lose, Turkey will still be eliminated due to head-to-head regulations.
World Cup History: This marks Turkey’s third-ever appearance in World Cup history. Their debut in 1954 ended in the group stage, while their legendary campaign at Korea/Japan 2002 saw the “Crescent Stars” remarkably reach the semi-finals and secure the bronze medal.
Expectations were incredibly high for Turkey to go far in this edition, boasting a talented generation featuring Güler, Kenan Yıldız, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu, under the tactical guidance of Italian manager Vincenzo Montella. However, following back-to-back underwhelming performances, the European nation becomes the second team to be officially knocked out of the tournament, joining Haiti.
