Türkiye eliminated from World Cup after narrow loss to Paraguay

Türkiye’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign came to an abrupt end Friday after a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay, a result that left the Crescent-Stars without a point and eliminated before the final round of Group D matches.

Despite dominating possession for long stretches and playing against 10 men for the entire second half, Türkiye failed to find a breakthrough as Paraguay defended resolutely and capitalized on an early defensive mistake.

The match, officiated by El Salvador’s Ivan Barton, began disastrously for Türkiye.

Just minutes after kickoff, defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı’s attempted clearance fell kindly to Julio Enciso, who quickly fed Mathias Galarza. The midfielder took advantage of the space outside the penalty area and unleashed a low strike that beat goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, giving Paraguay a 1-0 lead.

The early goal immediately put Türkiye on the back foot.

As they had in their opening defeat to Australia, Vincenzo Montella’s side controlled possession and dictated the tempo, but they struggled to convert territorial dominance into clear-cut scoring opportunities. Paraguay sat deep, remained compact and forced Türkiye into increasingly difficult attacking positions.

Türkiye’s best chance of the first half arrived in the 35th minute.

Hakan Çalhanoğlu delivered a dangerous free kick into the penalty area, where Mert Müldür rose highest to meet it. His powerful header struck the crossbar, bounced onto the post and somehow stayed out, leaving Turkish players and fans stunned.

The game took a dramatic turn deep into first-half stoppage time.

Following a challenge involving forward Pitta, Paraguay star Miguel Almirón was seen speaking to Mert Müldür while covering his mouth with his hand. Under FIFA’s newly introduced regulations, intentionally concealing speech during an on-field exchange is punishable by a red card.

After a VAR review, Barton was sent to the monitor and subsequently dismissed Almirón in the 45th minute, reducing Paraguay to 10 men before halftime.

Even with the numerical advantage, Türkiye could not find the goal that would keep their World Cup hopes alive.

The second half became an extended siege of the Paraguayan penalty area.

Kenan Yıldız threatened shortly after the restart, while Merih Demiral and substitute Deniz Gül both squandered promising opportunities. Türkiye pushed higher, committed more players forward and spent much of the half camped inside Paraguay’s territory.

Mert Müldür remained a constant threat, while Can Uzun injected energy and creativity from the bench. Yet every attack seemed to end in frustration as Paraguay’s defense held firm.

Türkiye’s final opportunity came in the 89th minute.

Barış Alper Yılmaz drove down the right flank and delivered a low cross into the box. Can Uzun’s effort was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Gill, and Deniz Gül could only send the rebound wide of the post.

It proved to be Türkiye’s last realistic chance.

When the final whistle sounded, Paraguay celebrated a hard-fought victory while Turkish players were left to reflect on another night of missed opportunities. The defeat left Türkiye rooted to the bottom of Group D with zero points and mathematically eliminated from the tournament before their final group match.

Almirón makes unwanted World Cup history

The match also produced a historic World Cup first.

Almirón became the first player sent off under FIFA’s new rule prohibiting players from covering their mouths while speaking during on-field interactions.

The Paraguay midfielder was shown a straight red card after VAR alerted officials to the incident involving Mert Müldür.

Following a review, referee Ivan Barton enforced the recently introduced regulation, making Almirón the first player in World Cup history to be dismissed under the new law.

DAILYSABAH