Turkey, which reached the World Cup finals for the first time in 24 years, collapsed after just two games. Having departed carrying the hopes of the entire nation, the disappointment and backlash are growing all the more intense.
Turkey, led by manager Vincenzo Montella, lost 0-1 to Paraguay in their second Group D match of the 2026 World Cup, held at the Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Saturday.
After losing 0-2 to Australia in their opening match, the consecutive defeats confirmed Turkey's elimination from the group stage regardless of the result of their remaining match against the United States. Turkey became the second team eliminated from this tournament, following Haiti in Group C.
This tournament carried special weight for Turkey. After writing a fairy tale by reaching the semifinals at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, the country went through a long slump and had no connection with the finals until passing this qualifying round, marking a return after 24 years.
In 2002, Turkey lost 0-1 to Brazil in the semifinals before defeating South Korea 3-2 in the third-place match to finish third overall.
The return was led by players dubbed the "golden generation." Arda Guler (Real Madrid), Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan), and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus) formed the core of what was assessed as an all-time great golden generation. As of January, Turkey's FIFA ranking was 22nd, the second-highest in the group after the United States (16th).
The expectations were evident from the moment of departure. The national team's official social media account "Milli Takimlar" reported on June 3 that the squad had left for the World Cup escorted by vehicles from electric carmaker Togg, a major sponsor.
Vehicles decorated in red and white, the colors of the Turkish flag, headed toward Istanbul Airport in a line, led by the team bus. Large crowds gathered in front of the airport to cheer on the departing squad, a scene that was also broadcast on television.
But the result was the opposite. Turkey lost 0-2 to Australia despite dominating the match with 62% possession. The Paraguay match was the same. After conceding an opening goal to Matias Galarza shortly after kickoff, Turkey gained a numerical advantage following Almiron's sending-off for a "mouth-covering" gesture late in the first half, yet recorded 31 shots and 65% possession while only pounding away without being able to open the goal.
According to Opta, the 62 shots without a goal across two games is the most shots by a team that failed to score in the group stage since records began in 1966. Montella said he would not blame the players, but enraged fans immediately demanded his resignation.
The players, who failed to repay the treatment they received, bowed their heads. When elimination was confirmed, fans' anger erupted and the players apologized to the nation. Guler made a public apology and the squad shed tears on the pitch.
But public sentiment was cold. Fans poured out fierce reactions such as "Don't come back," "I can't even stand the sight of you," and "Cry after you play football well."
The mood had already been ominous immediately after the Australia match. Fans enraged by the heavy defeat flooded the national team's official Instagram with protests and sarcastic comments, with reports indicating that posts had drawn more than 30,000 comments according to online tallies.
The greater the expectations for the golden generation had been, the greater the backlash left by the goalless elimination after just two games.
