Turkey needs one goal to avoid World Cup elimination in final minutes

Turkey is staring down the barrel of a World Cup exit, trailing Paraguay 1-0 in a Group D match at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. With the clock winding down on June 19, 2026, the team that waited 24 years to return to football’s biggest stage is running out of time to keep its tournament alive.

Matías Galarza scored in just the 2nd minute for Paraguay, and that early dagger has held up despite Turkey controlling the ball for nearly the entire match.

Domination without destination

Turkey has reportedly held up to 78% of the ball against Paraguay, a number that sounds dominant until you realize it has produced almost nothing in front of goal.

The pattern isn’t new for this tournament. Turkey opened their World Cup campaign on June 14 with a 2-0 loss to Australia, a match where they similarly struggled to create meaningful chances.

For a squad making its first World Cup appearance since the magical 2002 run, where Turkey finished third in Japan and South Korea, this is a particularly bitter pill.

Group D math is unforgiving

The broader group picture makes Turkey’s situation even more precarious. The United States has positioned itself strongly after a win over Australia, sitting at the top of Group D. That result means Turkey’s margin for error was already razor-thin heading into this Paraguay fixture.

If Turkey fails to equalize, they’ll head into their final group match against the US needing a result against the tournament hosts.

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