June 20, 2026 at – 02:24
Paraguay, with one less, defeated Turkey 1-0 in Santa Clara and recovered from the fall suffered in the debut. With an early goal from Matías Galarza and an enormous display of character, La Albirroja took a fundamental step in their fight to advance to the next round of the 2026 World Cup.
The paraguayan team He showed his essence again. The one that made it historically respected in world football. The one that appears in the most difficult moments. The Guarani support was present at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, where the Albirroja defeated Turkey 1-0 for the second date of Group D and kept their chances of qualifying for the next phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup intact.
After the hard fall suffered against the United States in the premiere, the team led by Gustavo Alfaro I was forced to react. And he did it in the best possible way: with order, sacrifice and total dedication during the 98 minutes of play.
The match couldn’t have started better for Paraguay. The first minute had barely passed when Miguel Almiron He overflowed on the right and sent a pass towards the center of the area. Julio Enciso He received and offloaded to Matías Galarza, who settled in and took a powerful shot that left the Turkish goalkeeper with no chance to score the only goal of the night.
Read more: Matías Galarza scored the fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup and Paraguay continues dreaming
The goal surprised everyone and gave La Albirroja the necessary peace of mind to face the rest of the match. However, Türkiye reacted quickly and began to take control of the ball.
With Arda Güler as the driver and Kenan Yildiz as the main threat on the sides, the Europeans tilted the field and monopolized possession. Paraguay had difficulties recovering the ball and sustaining prolonged attacks, so they had to take refuge in their tactical discipline and collective effort.
The situation became even more complicated before the break. Matias Galarza He was cautioned early and conditioned his game in the middle of the field. Then, in a decision that generated controversy, the Salvadoran referee Iván Barton, discreetly, applied the new regulatory provisions by sanctioning two corner kicks due to delays by Orlando Gill in the replacement.
Read more: Miguel Almirón, first expelled from the World Cup for covering his mouth when talking to a rival
When it seemed that the first half was ending without any further surprises, another blow came for Paraguay. Miguel Almirón was sent off with a direct red card after a VAR review. According to the referee’s interpretation, the Paraguayan captain incurred sanctionable conduct by addressing an opponent while covering his mouth, one of the new infractions contemplated by FIFA.
With one man less and a lot of time ahead, the mission seemed even more complicated. But it was then that the most combative version of Albirroja appeared.
Türkiye dominated possession throughout the second half and constantly pushed in search of an equalizer. However, he found a solid defense, a committed team and a Orlando Gill who responded when required with decisive interventions.
In the middle of the field he shone Andres Cubaswho did an extraordinary job of recovery and wear and tear, neutralizing Arda Güler during long passages and maintaining the balance of the numerically inferior team.
Paraguay also had its opportunities to end the match. Julio Enciso had spaces to exploit the counterattacks, although he was unable to convert the chances generated.
The final minutes were of maximum tension. Türkiye launched all its offensive power into the Paraguayan area and took the game to 98 minutes. However, the last ball could not break the Guarani resistance either.
When the final whistle sounded, relief came. Paraguay won the World Cup again and did so by recovering its identity, one that is based on struggle, sacrifice and conviction.
The Albirroja added three gold points and will arrive alive to the last date of Group D, fueling the hope of continuing to advance in their long-awaited return to a World Cup after 16 years.
