World Cup 2026 | Turkey 0 - 1 Paraguay

Almiron red card fails to derail Paraguay as Turkey crash out of World Cup

Miguel Almiron became the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth at a World Cup, but Paraguay held firm to boost their hopes of reaching the next stage

Author | Jack L

Stadium | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Paraguay struck after only 64 seconds when midfielder Matias Galarza drilled home from outside the area to score the fastest goal of the tournament so far, with his effort ultimately proving decisive.

From that moment on, however, it was largely one-way traffic as Turkey pushed relentlessly in search of an equaliser.

Their task appeared to become easier when former Newcastle United midfielder Almiron placed his hand over his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey defender Mert Muldur in first-half stoppage time.

Following a video assistant referee review, Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton produced a red card under a new regulation introduced ahead of the tournament.

Both sides arrived in need of a result after opening defeats. Paraguay had been beaten 4-1 by hosts the United States, while Turkey had lost 2-0 to Australia, adding extra tension to a contest that frequently boiled over.

Despite dominating possession and territory, Turkey managed only one shot on target from 12 first-half attempts, while a deflected header from Muldur struck both the crossbar and the post.

Merih Demiral forced Orlando Gill into action after the interval before substitute Deniz Gul squandered a fine opportunity with a close-range header straight at the Paraguay goalkeeper.

Can Uzun then drew an excellent save from Gill late on before Gul somehow turned the rebound wide, although an offside flag would probably have spared his blushes.

Turkey had 30 attempts against the Socceroos in their opening match and added another 32 here, but they could not break down Paraguay's 10 men and remain without a goal in the tournament.

A second successive defeat means Turkey can no longer qualify, while Paraguay know victory over Australia in their final Group D match will secure a place in the knockout stages.