Paraguay defeated Turkey despite being down a man following a "mouth-covering" ejection, boosting its chances of advancing to the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Paraguay beat Turkey 1-0 in their second Group D match at the World Cup, held Saturday at the Bay Area Stadium in San Francisco, California. After a 4-1 loss to the United States in their group opener on June 13, Paraguay now stands at one win and one loss with three points, placing third in the group behind the United States (two wins) and Australia (one win, one loss).
Turkey, on the other hand, suffered defeats to both Australia and Paraguay, and its elimination from the group stage was confirmed regardless of the result of its remaining match against the United States.
Paraguay's opening goal came shortly after the start of the match. Matias Galarza received a pass from Julio Cesar Enciso in front of the penalty arc and scored with a powerful left-footed strike. Paraguay then pulled back its defensive line to seal off the goal, holding off Turkey's continued attacks to maintain its one-goal lead.
An ejection variable emerged late in the first half. Paraguay forward Isidro Pitta attempted a rough tackle, then appealed to the referee that his opponent had instead stepped on his foot, sparking a scuffle between players from both teams. In this situation, Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron made remarks toward Turkey's Muldur while covering his mouth, and the referee, after reviewing the video, confirmed the act and ordered Almiron off the field.
FIFA had strengthened the related regulations starting with this tournament, prompted by an incident in a UEFA Champions League (UCL) match in February in which Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni covered his mouth and made racist remarks toward Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, drawing a suspension from UEFA. Under the new rules, covering one's mouth and speaking while confronting an opponent is grounds for immediate ejection.
Down a man, Paraguay played the second half with nearly all players involved in defense, as it had in the first half. Paraguay focused even more on running down the clock after the middle of the second half. Diego Gomes, in particular, fell during a challenge and did not get up, receiving an order to wait outside the field for one minute.
Turkey took 31 shots on the day, while Paraguay had seven. Turkey recorded 65 percent possession, while Paraguay managed just 26 percent.
