Turkey Out of World Cup After Paraguay Shock
Turkey crashes out of the World Cup after a stunning defeat to Paraguay, despite a red card and a clear man advantage for half the match.
Paraguay wasted no time taking the lead, capitalizing on a slipped pass just 65 seconds into the game. Matias Galarza launched a long-range shot that flew past Ugurcan Cakir, putting Los Guaranies ahead early.
Turkey struggled to register a meaningful effort until the 14th minute, when Arda Guler’s shot sailed over the bar despite Turkey’s persistence in the early exchanges. Playing their first World Cup in 24 years, the Turks kept pushing forward.
Kenan Yildiz attempted a spectacular bicycle kick from a corner, but goalkeeper Orlando Gill caught it comfortably. The closest Turkey came to equalizing before halftime was Mert Muldur’s free-kick header, which smacked the bar and post but stayed out. On the counter, Juan Jose Caceres tested Cakir with a powerful shot that required a save.
The match intensity surged when Miguel Almiron received a red card just before halftime for covering his mouth while talking to an opponent, leaving Paraguay down to ten men. Turkey, however, couldn’t capitalize, with Ismail Yuksek’s final chance of the half going wide.
The second half began with Turkey searching for a breakthrough, but it was Paraguay who nearly doubled their advantage as Julio Enciso’s angled strike missed narrowly.
Turkey responded with Yildiz crossing to substitute Deniz Gul, whose header was comfortably saved by Gill. In the final 10 minutes, Can Uzun's attempt skimmed wide, offering a glimmer of hope.
Just before the final whistle, Uzun had the game’s best opportunity during a well-crafted move, but his shot was stopped again by Gill—a chance the striker will want back. Merih Demiral also had a late header that went wide in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough.
Despite creating plenty of chances and enjoying a man advantage for an entire half, Turkey suffered their second defeat in a row, sealing their early exit from the tournament.
Their upcoming match against the USA is now meaningless for both sides, while Paraguay will face Australia in a battle for second place. With their record-breaking eighth group stage win in World Cup history, Los Guaranies seem very likely to advance regardless of that result.
