Turkey exits 2026 World Cup after 1-0 loss to Paraguay, sets record with 62 shots and zero goals in two matches

Match overview

Paraguay defeated Turkey 1-0 in Group D at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, 20 June 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Matias Galarza scored the only goal in the second minute, assisted by Julio Enciso. Paraguay played the entire second half with ten men after Miguel Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent, but Turkey could not find an equaliser despite the numerical advantage.

Turkey previously lost 0-2 to Australia in its opening match. With zero points and zero goals from two games, the team can no longer advance, as head-to-head results now take priority over goal difference in the group standings.

Historic futility

The two performances produced a World Cup record. Turkey attempted 62 shots across the two matches, 30 against Australia and 32 against Paraguay, without scoring. No team in tournament history had ever registered that many shots without a goal in its first two games. The previous mark belonged to Italy, which managed 49 shots without a goal in its first two matches in 1966.

Turkey showed a record-breaking lack of efficiency – no other team in World Cup history registered so many shots in two matches without scoring a single goal.

Turkey’s opponents, by contrast, needed only 16 shots to score three goals, highlighting an attack that misfired and a defence that conceded chances cheaply.

Post‑match fallout

Head coach Vincenzo Montella apologised after the elimination.

I am very, very sorry. Our nation’s expectations were high. Ours as well. I’ve been in football for 35 years. Usually something like this happens once every 50 years, and it happened to us in two matches. Luck was not on our side.

Arda Guler expressed shame on behalf of the squad.

We want to apologise to the fans. We are very sorry and ashamed. We play for top clubs and should have performed much better. Zero goals in two matches is unacceptable.

Turkish media and supporters reacted with anger. Social media filled with the hashtag “Montella istifa” (Montella resign), while outlets described the exit as a “tragicomic scene” and a “catastrophe.” The newspaper Fotospior wrote that Guler “got stuck at a dead point because of the team’s productivity problems.”

Sukur’s absence and a stadium tribute

Former Turkey captain Hakan Sukur, who scored the fastest goal in World Cup history and led the team to third place in 2002, lives in exile in Mountain View, California, after a conflict with Turkish authorities. He chose to watch the match at home for security reasons, while his wife and daughters attended the game.

During the match, fans paid for a greeting message to the Turkish national team that flashed on the stadium’s big screen and featured Sukur’s name. The image circulated on social network X. In Turkey, where Sukur’s name has been erased from club websites and official records, the gesture carried added weight.

The national team’s World Cup defeat left a tragicomic scene on the pitch.

Turkey will face the United States on 26 June in a dead‑rubber finale. Paraguay, still in contention, meets Australia the same day for a direct place in the round of 32.