FIFA World Cup: Paraguay eliminate Turkey with 1-0 win
What's the story
Turkey has been knocked out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after suffering a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay. The match took place at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Friday. Matias Galarza scored the fastest goal of this year's tournament, just 64 seconds into the contest. His long-range shot found its way into the bottom corner, surpassing Morocco's Ismael Saibari's goal against Scotland earlier in the day.
Match dynamics
Paraguay hold on for famous win
Paraguay's task became even tougher when Miguel Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time after clashing with Turkey defender Mert Muldur. He was the first player to be dismissed under FIFA's new mouth-covering rule, aimed at preventing players from hiding abusive or discriminatory comments during on-field confrontations. Despite being a man down, Paraguay put up a strong defensive display in the second half.
Game statistics
Heartbreak for Turkey
Turkey dominated the match with 32 shots, 51 penalty area touches, 12 corners and nearly 80% possession. However, they failed to capitalize on their dominance. The Turkish players were left heartbroken at the final whistle as their World Cup dreams came to an end. Their best chance came late in the match when Merih Demiral headed wide from close range.
Tournament impact
Massive turnaround for Paraguay
The win was a massive turnaround for Paraguay after their 4-1 loss to the United States in their opening match. The result took them to three points, level with Australia, and kept them firmly in contention for a place in the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Turkey became the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the tournament after losing to both Australia and Paraguay.
Upcoming matches
Paraguay take on Australia next
Paraguay will now take on Australia in a crucial final group-stage match, with a spot in the Round of 32 still within reach. The expanded format also allows the eight best third-placed teams across the tournament to progress to the knockout rounds. As for Turkey, they will be disappointed with their early exit from this prestigious tournament after losing to both Australia and Paraguay.
Stats
A look at the key stats
From six attempts, Paraguay recorded two shots on target. Turkiye made as many as 33 attempts and managed six strikes on target. The winning side had just 22% ball possession in the game. They completed 154 passes with a 58% accuracy. Turkiye's passes count was 638. Their accuracy was 90%.
Landmarks
Here are the notable landmarks
As per Squawka, Galarza scored the quickest goal of the 2026 World Cup, after just 64 seconds. This comes just a few hours after Moroccan striker Ismael Saibari set the record with a goal after 71 seconds versus Scotland. According to Opta, Paraguay's Matías Galarz is the first player since yellow cards were introduced in 1970 to score a goal and receive a caution before the 15th minute in a World Cup match. Türkiye failed to score despite attempting 62 shots in their first two matches at this year's FIFA World Cup, the most attempts without a goal in any two-match span in the competition on record (since 1966).