Turkey's national team officially bid farewell to the 2026 World Cup after a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay—who played with 10 men from late in the first half—in a Group D match played on June 19 local time in Santa Clara, California.
The match's only goal came in the 64th minute when midfielder Matias Galarza unleashed a 25-meter shot that rocketed into the Turkish net. It was the fastest goal of the tournament, eclipsing Ismael Saibari's previous record of 71 seconds in Morocco's win over Scotland on the same day.
Despite conceding early, Turkey had a chance to turn the game around when Paraguay had a man sent off in first-half stoppage time. Midfielder Miguel Almiron received a straight red card after covering his mouth during an argument with defender Mert Muldur. This was the first time a new FIFA regulation regarding players covering their mouths during confrontations was applied at this year's tournament. The rule was introduced after Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr while covering his own mouth.
After the sending off, Paraguay retreated into a defensive shell, repelling wave after wave of Turkish attacks. But the white-shirted side held firm to preserve their 1-0 lead and claim their first victory of the tournament following a disastrous 4-1 opening loss to the United States.
With this result, Turkey suffered their second consecutive defeat in North America, officially ending their 2026 World Cup journey.
