Paraguay battled their way to a gritty 1-0 victory over Turkey in a tense 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage showdown at Levi’s Stadium.
The South Americans burst out of the gates, as Matias Galarza struck less than two minutes in, sending the Paraguayan fans into early celebration.
Turkey enjoyed the majority of possession and pushed relentlessly in search of an equalizer, but they were unable to find a way past a determined Paraguayan backline.
The contest took another dramatic twist at halftime when Paraguay were reduced to 10 men after Miguel Almirón was shown a red card. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Paraguayans displayed remarkable resilience and defensive discipline, holding on to their lead until the final whistle.
This defeat marks Turkey’s second in a row and seals their fate as the second team to exit the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following Haiti.
Paraguay now sets its sights on a pivotal showdown with Australia on June 26, while Turkey will wrap up their campaign facing the tournament hosts, the United States, that same day.
