Turkiye knocked out of World Cup 2026 after 1-0 defeat to 10-man Paraguay

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With two defeats in two group games, Turkiye have been knocked out of the World Cup. Matias Galarza’s early goal handed Paraguay a 1-0 win over the Turks.

Published On 20 Jun 2026

Ten-man Paraguay eliminated ⁠Turkiye from the 2026 World Cup ⁠with a courageous defensive effort to seal a dramatic 1-0 win after suffering a dismissal before half-time, with the ⁠fastest goal of the tournament proving the difference.

Midfielder Matias Galarza wound up from 25 metres (27 yards) and fired a ‌low rocket home after 64 seconds on Friday evening to eclipse Ismael Saibari’s 71-second strike in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland hours before.

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Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was given a ⁠straight red card in ⁠first-half stoppage time for putting his hand over his mouth in a confrontation with Turkiye’s ⁠Mert Muldur, the first to fall foul of ⁠the new rule at ⁠the tournament.

It made Paraguay’s task that much harder, but they weathered wave after wave of ‌Turkiye attacks to claim the win in a remarkable turnaround following their ‌opening ‌4-1 demolition by the United States.

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group D - Turkey v Paraguay - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, U.S. - June 19, 2026 Turkey's Merih Demiral and Deniz Gul react REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

Paraguay red card: Almiron sent off for covering his mouth

Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time after the exchange with Muldur, with the dismissal confirmed by the video assistant referee (VAR) as ⁠Paraguay led 1-0.

Players who cover their mouths with their hand, ⁠arm or shirt in confrontational situations ⁠receive a red ⁠card.

The rule came into effect after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was accused ‌of making discriminatory slurs to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr ‌with ‌his mouth covered.