Turkey eliminated from FIFA World Cup 2026 after second straight defeat

SAN FRANCISCO: Turkey has been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2026 after suffering a second consecutive defeat in the group stage.

In a Group C match held on Saturday morning at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Turkey lost 1–0 to Paraguay, ending its campaign at the group stage.

Paraguay secured a narrow victory through a decisive early goal from Matias Galarza, who scored in the second minute of the match. The early strike proved enough to seal all three points.

The match turned tense in first-half stoppage time when Miguel Almiron of Paraguay was shown a red card, reducing his team to 10 men. Despite being a man down, Paraguay managed to hold on under sustained pressure from Turkey.

Turkey dominated possession with 79 percent control of the ball and registered over 20 shots on goal, but failed to convert any of their chances into goals.

With the result, co-host United States advanced to the knockout stage as group winners with six points from two matches. Australia and Paraguay both have three points each from two games, while all teams still have one match remaining.

However, the United States has already secured the top position in the group based on head-to-head advantage, confirming its place at the top of the standings.