Türkiye exit 2026 World Cup after 1-0 defeat to Paraguay

Türkiye were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing 1-0 to Paraguay in their second Group D match, leaving the national team without a goal or a point after two games.

The result ended Türkiye's hopes of moving on from the group stage despite Paraguay being reduced to 10 men before halftime. Türkiye pushed for an equalizer in the second half, but could not find a way past Paraguay.

The match kicked off in the San Francisco Bay Area at 6 a.m. GMT+3, with El Salvador's Ivan Barton officiating alongside assistants David Moran and Henry Pupiro.

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Match updates

• 2' GOAL — Paraguay 1 - Türkiye 0: Matias Galarza fires in a left-footed shot from outside the box to give Paraguay an early lead.

Matias Galarza #23 of Paraguay celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Türkiye and Paraguay at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, June 19, 2026. (AFP Photo)

• 35' — Türkiye came close to an equalizer when Mert Muldur's effort struck the post, leaving Paraguay's early 1-0 lead intact in the Group D match.

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• 45+3' — Paraguay were reduced to 10 men just before halftime after Almiron was shown a red card. The decision came after he appeared to cover his mouth while saying something as he moved close to Mert Muldur, an action punished under the World Cup's new enforcement measures.

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• HT — Türkiye 0-1 Paraguay: Türkiye went into halftime trailing Paraguay despite the South American side being reduced to 10 men in stoppage time. Türkiye need at least one unanswered goal in the second half to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
• 46' — The second half is underway, with Baris Alper Yilmaz replacing Kerem Akturkoglu as Türkiye look for a way back into the match. Halftime statistics showed Türkiye holding 77% possession, taking 12 shots and winning 5 corners, but Paraguay still led 1-0 despite being down to 10 men.
• 60' — Türkiye made a double substitution as Can Uzun and Deniz Gul came on for Yunus Akgun and Ismail Yuksek, with the national team still chasing an equalizer against 10-man Paraguay.

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• 63' — Türkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella was shown a yellow card as his side continued to push for an equalizer against 10-man Paraguay.
• 86' — Türkiye made a late change as Orkun Kokcu came on for Abdulkerim Bardakci, with the national team still looking for a way back against 10-man Paraguay.

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• 89' — Türkiye came close to a late equalizer, but Deniz Gul could not turn the chance into a goal as Paraguay held on to their 1-0 lead.
• FT — Türkiye 0-1 Paraguay: Türkiye's 2026 World Cup campaign came to an end after a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay. The national team finished its first two matches with 0 goals and 0 points.

Players of Turkiye pose for a team photo prior the 2026 FIFA World Cup First Stage Group D match between Turkiye and Paraguay at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi’s Stadium) in Santa Clara, California, United States, June 19, 2026. (AA Photo)

Türkiye remains without points

Türkiye's hopes of reaching the round of 16 suffered a setback after a second consecutive defeat left Vincenzo Montella's side without a point in Group D.

Montella started Ugurcan Cakir in goal, with Mert Muldur, Merih Demiral, Abdulkerim Bardakci and Ferdi Kadioglu in defense.

Ismail Yuksek and Hakan Calhanoglu featured in midfield, while Yunus Akgun, Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz and Kerem Akturkoglu led the attack.

Paraguay players pose for a team photograph before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Türkiye and Paraguay at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, June 19, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Paraguay boosts knockout hopes

Paraguay bounced back from its opening defeat to the United States with a victory that strengthened its position in the race for a place in the knockout stage.

The South American side started with Gill in goal and a lineup featuring Cacares, Gustavo Gomez, Alderete, Alonso, Diego Gomez, Cubas, Almiron, Galarza, Enciso and Pitta.

With the United States and Australia also competing for the top two spots in Group D, the result leaves Paraguay firmly in contention heading into the final round of group-stage matches.

June 20, 2026 09:17 AM GMT+03:00