Ten-man Paraguay oust Turkey from World Cup with 1-0 win

Paraguay Beat Turkey 1-0 to Stay Alive in World Cup Group D

Ten-man Paraguay defeated Turkey 1-0 on Friday night at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, keeping their knockout stage hopes alive while eliminating Turkey from the 2026 World Cup. The result also confirmed the United States as Group D winners.

Fastest Goal of the Tournament

Matias Galarza struck after just 64 seconds, unleashing a powerful shot from 25 meters that found the bottom corner to give Paraguay the lead and score the fastest goal of this year’s World Cup. It was a dramatic turnaround for a Paraguay side that had been hammered 4-1 by the United States in their opening match.aljazeera

The game took a further twist in the 48th minute when Miguel Almirón was shown a red card — the first dismissal under FIFA’s new rule prohibiting players from covering their mouths during on-field confrontations. Despite playing with ten men for the entire second half, Paraguay held firm, with goalkeeper Orlando Gill making several saves to preserve the lead.theguardian

Turkey’s Brief Return Ends in Disappointment

For Turkey, appearing at their first World Cup in 24 years, the tournament lasted just two matches. After a 2-0 loss to Australia in their opener and now a second consecutive defeat, they became the second team eliminated from the competition after Haiti. Turkey dominated possession throughout both matches but failed to convert their chances into goals.nbcnews

What Comes Next

The result confirmed the United States atop Group D with six points from two wins. Paraguay now sit third with three points, setting up a decisive final group match against Australia on Thursday, June 25, at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, with the second qualifying spot on the line. The U.S. will face Turkey the same evening at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, a match now rendered largely academic for both sides.yahoo