10-man Paraguay send Turkey crashing out of World Cup 2026
By Joel Masibo, June 20, 2026Paraguay revived their FIFA World Cup 2026 hopes with a narrow victory over Türkiye on Saturday morning, June 20, 2026, thanks to Matias Galarza, whose strike after only 64 seconds became the quickest goal of the tournament so far.
Following opening-match defeats, both teams entered the contest in San Francisco under pressure to secure a positive result. Paraguay wasted no time in making their intentions clear, finding the breakthrough barely a minute into the game.
As it happened
The move began when Andres Cubas won back possession before feeding Julio Enciso, who quickly slipped a pass to Galarza. The midfielder fired a left-footed shot that travelled through the legs of defender Merih Demiral and beyond goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir to hand Paraguay an early advantage.
Türkiye responded strongly and came close to equalising when Mert Muldur’s header struck both the crossbar and post. The match became increasingly heated as the Turks searched for a way back into the contest.
Drama unfolded in stoppage time when Paraguay were reduced to ten men. Miguel Almiron received the tournament’s first red card under the newly introduced regulations that ban players from covering their mouths during confrontational incidents.
Holding a slim lead but playing with a numerical disadvantage, Paraguay spent much of the second half absorbing relentless pressure. Türkiye launched repeated attacks, but their finishing let them down. Hakan Calhanoglu sent a volley off target, Deniz Gul failed to convert a close-range header, and Kenan Yildiz was unable to find his usual accuracy in front of goal.
Paraguay’s defence ultimately stood firm to secure all three points, breathing new life into their Group D campaign ahead of their final group-stage clash against Australia on 25 June.
The defeat leaves Türkiye without a point after two matches and officially ends their hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds.
Group D standings
USA – 6 points
Australia – 3 points
Paraguay – 3 points
Türkiye – 0 points
Key statistic
Matias Galarza’s goal after just 64 seconds is currently the fastest scored at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
After the final whistle, Matias Galarza of Paraguay was named the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match.