SANTA CLARA: Paraguay boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Turkiye on Friday, despite playing much of the match with 10 men.
The crucial win keeps Paraguay’s qualification hopes alive while also confirming that co-hosts the United States will finish as winners of Group D. The defeat, meanwhile, eliminated Turkiye from the tournament, making them only the second team after Haiti to be knocked out of contention.
Paraguay made a dream start when Matias Galarza scored the only goal of the match after just 63 seconds. His low long-range effort slipped past Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir to give Paraguay an early lead.
The South Americans suffered a setback just before halftime when former Newcastle United forward Miguel Almiron was shown a red card during stoppage time. According to match officials, Almiron was dismissed after covering his mouth while appearing to direct comments toward Turkish defender Mert Muldur during an on-field confrontation.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Paraguay held firm against increasing Turkish pressure in the second half.
Turkiye came close to equalising in the 88th minute when Deniz Gul was presented with a clear opportunity after goalkeeper Orlando Gill parried a shot, but the striker sent his effort wide.
Deep into stoppage time, defender Merih Demiral narrowly missed with a header as Turkiye’s final hopes faded.
The result leaves Paraguay still in the race for a place in the knockout rounds, while Turkiye exit the tournament after a disappointing group-stage campaign.