Turkey was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after only two matches, following a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay. The result ended any hope of reaching the next round, despite Turkey’s squad featuring Kenan Yildiz, Arda Guler and Hakan Calhanoglu.
The team, coached by Vincenzo Montella, also played more than half the match with a numerical advantage but still failed to score. Turkish media singled out Montella as the main culprit for the early exit, calling him “the number 1 culprit” behind the elimination.
The tournament has become historically poor for Turkey. In its first two games, the national team produced 62 attempts on goal and scored none, a record for the highest number of shots without a goal across two consecutive World Cup matches since official recordkeeping began in 1966.
The article was published by Sport 5 on June 20, 2026, at 08:34. It frames Turkey’s exit as a major national disappointment and a historic low point for the team.
