San Francisco, Jun 20 (V7N) – Paraguay produced a resilient defensive display to defeat Turkey 1-0 despite playing nearly half the match with 10 men, keeping their FIFA World Cup hopes alive while eliminating their opponents from the tournament.
The Group D encounter at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium began in dramatic fashion, with Paraguay taking the lead just 64 seconds after kickoff.
Midfielder Matías Galarza unleashed a low strike from around 25 metres that found the back of the net, registering the fastest goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The goal surpassed the previous tournament record of 71 seconds, set by Morocco's Ismail Sabry against Scotland.
Paraguay's task became significantly more difficult in first-half stoppage time when midfielder Miguel Almirón received a straight red card following an altercation with Turkey defender Mert Müldür. Almirón became the first player to be dismissed under the tournament's newly introduced rule concerning face-covering and prohibited conduct during on-field exchanges.
Reduced to 10 men, Paraguay adopted a disciplined defensive approach and successfully withstood relentless Turkish pressure throughout the second half.
Turkey dominated possession with 79 percent of the ball and attempted 32 shots, but managed to place only five on target. Paraguay, by contrast, had just 21 percent possession and registered five shots, with two testing the goalkeeper.
Despite earning 12 corner kicks and maintaining sustained attacking pressure, Turkey failed to find an equaliser as Paraguay's defence held firm until the final whistle.
The victory marked an impressive response from Paraguay after suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to the United States in their opening Group D match.
With the win, Paraguay boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stage, while Turkey's hopes of progressing were ended with one group-stage match still to play.
END/SMA/AJ
