Turkey arrived at their first World Cup in 24 years carrying real expectations and a crop of rising stars. They leave without a single goal scored, beaten 1-0 by a Paraguay side that spent more than a half with ten men, eliminated with one group match still to play.
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The defeat followed a 2-0 opening loss to Australia, a match defined by the same flaws: wasted chances and a resolute opposition backline. Turkey registered 30 attempts in that game and 32 against Paraguay, combining for 62 shots without a goal across two matches — the worst such record in any two-game span in World Cup history dating back to 1966.
Paraguay‘s clinical edge made Turkey‘s wastefulness even more costly. Matias Galarza, recalled to the starting lineup after sitting unused in the opener, struck the tournament’s fastest goal with a 25-metre effort just over a minute into the match. That one moment of quality proved decisive.
Mert Muldur‘s 35th-minute header from a free kick struck the crossbar and rebounded off the post — the closest Turkey came to an equaliser. Baris Yilmaz, Can Uzun and Merih Demiral all squandered viable opportunities as the clock ran down, and the net stayed untouched.
Arda Guler, the 21-year-old face of Turkish football, spoke plainly after the final whistle.
“We tried very hard but it didn’t work. But we should have scored some goals. We should have won these games … Everybody’s sad, everybody’s crying.”
The exit lands hard for a squad that cut through the Euro 2024 knockout rounds and reached the quarter-finals. The generation built around Guler and Kenan Yildiz was supposed to announce itself on the biggest stage. Turkey now faces a difficult final group game against the United States, who have already secured a place in the round of 32, with a fierce public reaction waiting at home.
For Paraguay, the win was a statement of character after a dire performance against the US. Even Miguel Almiron‘s red card in first-half stoppage time — dismissed for remarks made to Muldur with his hand covering his mouth — could not shake them. Grit, discipline and a measure of fortune kept the South Americans alive in the tournament.
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro was direct about where credit belonged.
“It’s nothing about tactics or strategy here. This victory, this result is to the credit of the players.”
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