Turkey entered the 2026 World Cup with high hopes and talk of a potential dark horse, but its campaign ended in humiliating fashion after a 1-0 loss to Paraguay in the second round of Group D. The defeat eliminated Vincenzo Montella’s team after just two matches, before the final group game.
The exit was especially painful because Turkey was not outplayed statistically. It had long spells of possession, created chances and pressed for most of the match, just as it had done in the opening loss to Australia, but still failed to score. Across its first two matches, Turkey produced 62 shots without finding the net, which FIFA data says is the worst such record since detailed tournament statistics began in 1966.
Turkish media reacted harshly. Sporx wrote, “We never thought it would look like this. Turkey bids farewell to the World Cup.” Fanatik ran with the headline “We have been eliminated from the World Cup!”, stressing that even a long stretch with a numerical advantage could not produce the goal Turkey needed.
Much of the criticism centered on Real Madrid star Arda Guler, one of the most discussed players in the squad. He finished the first two games without a goal or assist, and Fotospor asked, “Where did Arda Guler go? Did a double play in his place?” The paper argued that he tried to carry the attack alone but got lost in an ineffective system. Guler lost the ball 22 times against Paraguay and did not create a real scoring chance. Some fans defended him, saying the problem was collective, while others said Turkey arrived with hope but left without a goal. Turkey still has one match left against host United States, but it can no longer qualify and will try to avoid finishing with no points and no goals.
