Despite having only 10 players for more than half of the match, Paraguay was the most determined performance of the FIFA World Cup 2026 already, beating Turkey 1-0.
The win brought a sense of optimism for Paraguay to take on and the end of Turkey’s tournament. Now the Turkish outfit has lost back-to-back matches in the group stage, they are not in the running for a spot in the Round of 16, marking a disappointing end to their maiden appearance in over 20 years at the World Cup.
The ebbing tide began to turn in favour of the Tigers almost straight after the kick-off. Matias Galaraza, the midfielder dominated Turkey with a stunning goal just over a minute into the match and gave the game its quickest goal to date. Paraguay had an early strike that they would defend throughout the night.
The rest was a test of endurance.
The game took an unexpected turn before the break when Miguel Almiron was sent off for an on-field altercation, making Paraguay’s job all the more difficult. With 10 men left, the South Americans were put into survival mode against the desire of the Turks to hang on to their World Cup dreams.
Turkey retaliated by controlling the ball and pounding the ball forward in a flood of attacks. But the pressure remained on during the second half with Paraguay constantly basing themselves in their own half.
But it was goalkeeper Orlando Gill who truly shone. The Paraguayan shot-stopper made a series of vital saves to help his side hold on to a fragile lead and thwart the Turkey attackers. His performance would keep Galarza’s early goal in check and it would eventually be enough.
The loss was a set-back for the Turkish side that came into the tournament with big expectations, having achieved good results in recent international tournaments. They built many opportunities in their first two games but still could not put a goal on the scoreboard, finishing up their disappointing season in that fashion.
Paraguay’s victory was a great turnaround from their heavy loss in their first group stage game. The outcome extends their hopes of keeping them in the matchup round while they await further matches in the knockout phase, where a win would set them up to advance to the top two.
The outcome also ensured that the U.S. would be Group D winners, and the final-day race for second place.
Paraguay’s courageous display of putting up a show may be remembered as one of the most defining moments of the group stage as the tournament progressed towards the knockout stage — when determination, discipline and an early goal was all it took to overcome the odds.
