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In a match between two desperate teams that lost their first match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Paraguay defeated Türkiye 1-0 at San Francisco Bay Stadium. With the result, Paraguay kept alive its hopes of advancing to its group final against Australia.
Meanwhile, Türkiye are now disqualified from advancing after two group stage matches that are difficult to understand. Türkiye dominated possession and shots on each occasion, but could not even score a goal. In this match, Paraguay had to play the entire second half with just 10 men.
Türkiye will now proudly play in their final against the United States, while Paraguay will take on Australia with the winner guaranteed a place in the round of 32.
With the result, the United States won Group D. Here are my conclusions:
4. Galarza’s attack set the tone
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
After just 64 seconds, Paraguay took the lead with a stunning shot from Matías Galarza, who currently plays for Atlanta United in the MLS. Galarza didn’t even play in Paraguay’s first 4-1 loss to the United States, but coach Gustavo Alfaro needed to change things.
In a match where both teams needed to be aggressive from the start, Galarza set the tone throughout the match with a low shot from outside the box past Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakir. It was a great play by Galarza as it looked like he was going to make a pass into the box only to look up and see a clear shot he took. It was the fastest goal scored in this World Cup, so far.
From there, it required Türkiye to step up and become aggressive with a very high line and relentless pressure. It also made Paraguay adopt an even more defensive mentality, and it was Paraguay who then wanted to turn the game into a routine.
That’s largely how it continued to happen. Türkiye dominated possession and chances, but again, as he did against Australia, could not create enough dangerous opportunities. The closest it came in the first half was when captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu took a free kick into the area, which found Mert Müldür, whose header hit the crossbar and then the post in a single shot.
Paraguay were occasionally able to launch counterattacks through long balls that tested Türkiye’s high line, but those changes were few and far between.
3. Almirón red card
(Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Socrates/Getty Images)
One of the most important moments of the match occurred in first-half stoppage time when veteran Paraguayan midfielder Miguel Almirón covered his mouth to say something to Müldür. Immediately afterwards, Müldür addressed the referee to tell Almirón to cover his mouth to say something.
This is a new FIFA rule and all players were informed about it before the tournament. Players were not allowed to say anything to an opposing player while covering their mouths. Then referee Iván Barton of El Salvador went to the VAR monitor and immediately sent off Almirón. It was a very momentous night for the Atlanta United players with Galarza’s goal and Almirón’s red card.
This rule is new to many players and fans, but Almirón had no excuse for this incident as all players were informed and his violation was as clear as possible.
Almirón is one of the most experienced players in the Paraguay national team with 77 international caps and years in the Premier League. In a must-win match against a talented opponent, Almirón put his team in a terrible position and a player with such an extensive history in the game should have known better.
2. Türkiye’s ineptitude, Paraguay’s defense
(Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
In Türkiye’s first 2-0 loss to Australia, the statistics were striking in pointing out Türkiye’s inability to convert possession into dangerous chances.
In that game, Türkiye had a 72-28% possession advantage and outshot Australia 30-9. Türkiye had a 51-18 advantage in touches inside the opponent’s box. Even with these numbers, Türkiye could not find the back of the net.
Against Paraguay the statistics were even more uneven, especially against an opponent that was left with 10 men.
When this World Cup is over and analysts analyze the major stories that emerged from this tournament, Türkiye’s offensive ineptitude will surely be near the top. It is difficult to find a team that has dominated its first two games so much, that has had chance after chance (even during the half against a 10-man team), that has lost both games without scoring a goal.
The statistics were almost hard to believe. 63 shots in two games and no goals.
Heading into this tournament, there were high expectations that Türkiye could reach the round of 16. This was the team’s first appearance in the tournament since 2002, when it finished third. This generation of Turkish players has shown great promise, but now it will come out in a surprising way.
On the other hand, Paraguay’s defense during almost the 90 minutes was remarkable. Even before Almirón was sent off, Paraguay was immobilized. But in the second half, Paraguay held firm through a disciplined approach, with a committed team defense and a top-notch effort that required a lot of character. At times Paraguay was lucky and at times Orlando Gill made a great save.
Paraguay’s World Cup hopes depended entirely on defensive effort for almost an entire match. Against all odds, they stood firm and deserved the victory.
1. Group D Finals
With this result, Türkiye is now disqualified from advancing to the knockout phase. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a very talented team. Their young players are elite. Arda Güler is one of the best young players in the world and 21-year-old Kenan Yildiz has been impressive for Juventus. But this will be a bitter pill to swallow and an experience full of lessons to learn.
Türkiye still has one more game left to play in the World Cup next week against the United States. That match doesn’t matter at all in the standings, but it will be interesting to see the pride Türkiye shows in that match. It will be important for their future to play hard and come out with an effort that can bring pride back to the team.
Meanwhile, Paraguay and Australia will face off in a dramatic game where the winner finishes second and advances. Meanwhile, the loser risks returning home.
