Turkey eliminated from World Cup after loss to Paraguay
Paraguay beat Turkey 1-0 in a pulsating encounter played at the San Francisco Bay Arena, thus condemning their opponents to an early elimination at the ongoing 2026 World Cup games.
The end-to-end Group D encounter was decided by a well taken rocket strike launched by midfielder Matías Galarza in the 2nd minute (64 seconds) of the World Cup game.
The goal scored by the player ensured that Paraguay got their first three points since the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa and also officially eliminating Turkey from the tournament after back-to-back group stage defeats.
Read Also: Brazil send Haiti packing with 3-0 thrashing
The game was not bereft of it’s own drama after Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón made history by becoming the first player ever red-carded under FIFA’s new tournament guidelines for covering his mouth with his hand while confronting Turkey’s Mert Müldür, just before the end of the first half of the game.
Despite playing with a 10-man disadvantage, the Paraguay national put up a defensive masterclass to put the Turkish team at bay following waves of endless attacks to end the game 1-0.
Both teams conclude their Group D campaigns in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, 25 June 2026, with Paraguay playing Australia while Turkey will battle USA on the same day.
