Türkiye was eliminated after losing to Paraguay

The 2026 World Cup has become a major failure for Türkiye. Coach Vincenzo Montella's team in the match in San Francisco could not win against Paraguay, the team had only 10 people left. This is not the only reason why this match will go down in history. Paraguay's Miguel Almirón became the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card for talking behind his hand.

Criticism in Türkiye increased after the defeat against Australia (2-0). Paraguay did not have a better start, losing 4-1 to the United States. Therefore, this match has vital significance for both teams. For Türkiye, who started the match with Orkun Kökçü on the bench, things started badly. After only 64 seconds, Paraguay scored a goal. Matias Galarza, who was not on the field in the previous match, shot the ball hard and low into the net, creating the fastest goal of this World Cup.

The early goal caused Türkiye to struggle to control the ball. Paraguay actively defended and looked for opportunities to counterattack. In the 35th minute, Türkiye had the biggest chance with Mert Müldür's header, but the ball bounced off the crossbar and post. At the end of the first half, Türkiye received good news when Almirón was sent off for talking behind his hand to an opposing player, which was confirmed by referee Ivan Barton via VAR. This decision has made the situation even more tense between the two teams.

After the break, Türkiye continued to attack but did not create many clear opportunities. Julio Enciso had a great chance but shot wide. Türkiye is still unable to score, just like in the loss against Australia. Time passed and Paraguay maintained its advantage. By failing to score in both matches, Türkiye was officially eliminated, while Paraguay will face Australia in the final match of the group stage.

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