Turkiye was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Paraguay, who scored the fastest goal of the tournament. Paraguay's Matias Galarza netted the decisive goal just 64 seconds into the match.
Key points
Turkiye eliminated from 2026 World Cup
Paraguay won 1-0 despite being down to 10 men
Matias Galarza scored the fastest goal of the tournament
Miguel Almiron received a red card
US confirmed as Group D winners
Mentioned in this story
Matias GalarzaMiguel AlmironVincenzo Montella
TurkiyeParaguay
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.
Fired up after their humiliating 4-1 opening match defeat by the United States, Paraguay went ahead when 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.
Spurred on to the sound of beating drums in the San Francisco Bay Area, Paraguay defended resolutely to withstand the Turkish onslaught and played the second half with 10 men, after Miguel Almiron was sent off for remarks made to Mert Muldur with his hand covering his mouth.
The win by the South Americans means the US were confirmed as Group D winners after their earlier 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle.
Turkiye’s coach, Vincenzo Montella, said his players fought to stay in the tournament and it was an outcome everyone had to accept.
“I’m sad, but I’m also very proud of my players. They gave everything right up until the final whistle. That’s what football’s like,” he said.
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
Turkiye’s’s Merih Demiral and Deniz Gul react after a late chance went wide [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]
Turkiye wasteful in front of goal
Turkiye dominated the match, with 79 percent possession at one point, but they paid the price for their atrocious finishing, logging 32 attempts but no goals in almost a carbon copy of their high-shooting .
Q&A
How did Turkiye get eliminated from the 2026 World Cup?
Turkiye was eliminated after losing 1-0 to Paraguay, who played with 10 men for the second half.
What was the fastest goal in the 2026 World Cup?
The fastest goal of the tournament was scored by Matias Galarza of Paraguay just 64 seconds into the match against Turkiye.
Who was sent off during the Turkiye vs Paraguay match?
Miguel Almiron of Paraguay was sent off for remarks made to Mert Muldur, resulting in a red card.
What was the outcome of the US vs Australia match in relation to Turkiye's elimination?
The US confirmed their position as Group D winners after defeating Australia 2-0, which contributed to Turkiye's elimination.
Turkiye were inventive and always threatening but fell apart in front of goal, with a slew of chances for Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz and Real Madrid’s Arda Guler. Paraguay defended solidly and looked dangerous on the break in their few chances.
Known as “La Albirroja“, Paraguay last played in the World Cup in 2010, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinal, which has been their best-ever run in the tournament.
Paraguay’s goalscorer Galarza said it was one of the best days of his life.
“We showed our quality fighting spirits even with one player down. God wanted this to happen for Paraguay more than ever before,” said the 24-year-old, on loan at Atlanta United from River Plate.
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group D - Turkey v Paraguay - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, U.S. - June 19, 2026 Paraguay's Matias Galarza celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Paraguay’s Matias Galarza celebrates scoring the winning goal [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]
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.
It was the first instance of the new rule being applied at the World Cup.
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.
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group D - Turkey v Paraguay - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, U.S. - June 19, 2026 Paraguay's Miguel Almiron argues with referee Ivan Barton IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Darren Yamashita TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron argues with referee Ivan Barton [Darren Yamashita/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters]
