Key events
Sam Lewis
It’s time for me to go for a long walk in complete silence to come down from that heart-thumping, gasp-inducing insanity.
Here’s the match report from one of the wildest, most unforgettable World Cup games you may ever see. I’ll see you, hopefully, at the next one.
Turkey are the first nation to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup. No matter their result against the USA in the third and final match day of the group stage, the head-to-head rule means they can’t finish any higher than fourth in Group D.
Meanwhile, Paraguay jump to third spot, equal on points with Australia (3). These two sides will face each other in the last game, with the Socceroos needing a win or a draw to progress automatically in second spot.
The eight best third-placed teams across the tournament will also make it through to the round of 32.
Your emails are flooding in after this result, with a lot of admiration for the guts and spirit shown by Paraguay to defend their first-minute lead.
Richard from New Zealand says: “I told you Paraguay would win. Be like Wigan. Be like Chelsea and Park the bus. 21% possession. Mom the Paraguay keeper. Great ref. Like the new rules!!”
And Carlos is scathing of Turkey, who have arguably shown the biggest disparity between pre-tournament expectations and execution: “As Barry would say, Turkey were diabolical. This was worse than their performance against the mighty Australia. No imagination, just countless poor crosses into the box and shots from distance. They’re deservedly out of this World Cup. Many people’s dark horses!”
The full-time whistle rings out and a number of Turkey players fall to their knees. Some burst into tears. Others have their heads in their hands. They threw everything they had at this game: 32 shots, 51 touches in the box, 12 corners, and almost 80% possession. But Paraguay, like Australia, bunkered down and defended with their lives, throwing themselves at every cross, shot, and pass. The Paraguayans erupt in cheers, sprinting around the field to hug their team-mates and coaching staff. A heroic effort with ten players after the fastest goal in this World Cup so far. What a match.
Full-time: Turkey 0-1 Paraguay
Turkey’s World Cup is all but over, while Paraguay keep their campaign alive.
90+9 mins: Arda Guler curls it towards the six-yard area, but Gill punches it clear. The captain Calhanoglu, stationed outside the box, puts his foot through it… but it fizzes wide of the post. That’s it.
90+8 mins: A wasteful Turkish corner is cleared by Paraguay, with Turkey’s fate now in the referee’s hands. They win a final free kick. The goalkeeper is up.
90+7 mins: TURKEY ALMOST EQUALISE. A stunning, bending cross from the left finds the towering Demiral, who’s been thrown up front now in the dying minute. He launches himself into the air to try and redirect the ball towards the back post, but it just bounces wide.
90+6 mins: Turkey are desperate now, shooting again and again from around Paraguay’s penalty area. But it keeps clattering off Paraguayan shirts. They’re living a charmed life.
90+5 mins: A long throw by Paraguay in their own attacking third. They try to keep it down their end, as far from their goal as possible. Turkey tries to win possession back and find a pass upfield but it’s intercepted near the top of the box. Paraguay send it towards the back post and a Turkish head just reaches it in time to head it away.
90+3 mins: Kenan Yildiz, who’s been working tirelessly all night down the left wing, sends another squared pass towards the six-yard area but the mighty Gomez throws himself in the way, and receives a shove in the back in the process. Paraguay with some breathing-room to pump the ball upfield.
90+2 mins: 7 minutes of added time. 7 minutes for Turkey to rescue their World Cup campaign.
90+1 mins: Paraguay substitutes. Gabriel Avalos is on for the excellent Julio Enciso, while the goal-scorer Matias Galarzo is being stretchered off to be replaced by Jose Canale.
90 mins: Paraguay go down the other end through the brilliant Enciso, who takes on two Turkish defenders before cutting back for a team-mate. There’s acres of space near the top of Turkey’s penalty area that he steps into and shoots, but the ball clangs off a white shirt and spins upfield.
89 mins: The biggest chance for Turkey! Following Paraguay’s free kick, they race down the other end through a long ball in behind for Yilmax. The substitute striker cuts inside and squares for a team-mate near the penalty spot, who shoots low and hard. The ball is blocked initially by Gill in goal, but it’s spilled and falls to Gul, who skews his follow-up wide of the near post.
88 mins: Paraguay win a smart free kick right near their own corner flag after Galarza is shoved to the ground by Elmali. The goal-scorer snuck a little look over his shoulder and went down easily, but they’ll want all the time possible down this end.
86 mins: Turkey substitute. Kokcu is on for Bardakci.
85 mins: Turkey nearly equalise! A fizzing cross from the right skims across the six-yard area for Gul, but somehow the ball bounces and spins through his legs as he flies through the air instead. Did Gomez get a touch on its way through?
84 mins: Paraguay almost make it two! A brilliant free kick swings in behind Turkey’s back-line, and in the forest of legs and bodies, the ball spins off a Paraguayan leg and towards Turkey’s far post, but goalkeeper Cakir dives horizontally to his left and paws it away.
Official attendance is 68,827. Close to a full-house at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, and they’ve been witness to one of the wildest matches of the World Cup so far.
82 mins: Paraguay substitute as Caceres comes off for Alexandro Maidana.
80 mins: Some great passing from Turkey in and around Paraguay’s box, with Yildiz trying to wriggle away into some space. He squares for a team-mate, who takes one too many touches before being closed down near the top of the box, and slides a pass to the right side. The ball is squared perfectly towards the penalty spot but Demiral, the centre-back who’s still somehow up in his attacking area, skews wide.
79 mins: Paraguay’s goal-scorer Galarza is taken out by Bardakci, who cramps up immediately lying on the grass. The sideline, full of Paraguayan fans, are on their feet pointing and yelling at the Turkish centre-back for such a reckless challenge, which somehow goes without a yellow card.
78 mins: A wicked cross from outside the box arrows towards the head of Muldur, who’s facing with his back to goal. He tries to sense where the goal is behind him and flicks the ball on with his head, but it flies over the crossbar. That’s Turkey’s 24th shot of the match so far.
76 mins: Turkey win another corner, their 10th of the game. It’s hit low and hard, but Gul hand-balls it in the box and Paraguay get a moment to breathe.
74 mins: The half-moments keep on coming as a cross-shot wobbles in the air, forcing Paraguay’s goalkeeper into a save, with Turkey winning a corner a minute later. Paraguay have completed just eight passes in this entire second half.
72 mins: Turkey with a brilliant break-away down the right after a cross-field pass finds substitute Yilmaz. He has an overlapping player to his right and two team-mates charging into the box to his left, but he shapes and shoots himself, sending the ball spinning over the crossbar. The stadium erupts into whistles and boos, and he waves in apology.
71 mins: We’re back and the referee immediately brandishes a yellow card for Eren Elmali, who literally just came onto the field, for clattering into the back of a Paraguayan player mid-air.
68 mins: Hydration break for them and for us. Another chaotic quarter, and Turkey look like they’re starting to panic. Despite having an extra player, they still haven’t found their much-needed equaliser.
67 mins: Gomez off, Velazquez on. Meanwhile, the referee has sprinted towards the Paraguay goalkeeper to give him a talking-to about taking too long to restart play. Arda Guler ran into the box and kicked the ball away, believing it was their free kick. But the referee clarifies and the ball is back on the grass for a goal kick.
65 mins: An impatient Demiral winds up and sends a long strike way up into the stands behind Paraguay’s goal. Meanwhile, Gomez is down again with substitute Gustavo Velazquez standing on the sideline ready to replace him.
64 mins: Paraguay had to defend a corner just now with nine players after Gomez spent a minute on the sidelines getting a foot stomp seen to. He’s back on now, and Turkey keep coming.
63 mins: Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella gets a yellow card after yelling about a foul called against one of his players a moment ago.
62 mins: Huge chance for Turkey! A perfect chipped cross from Yildiz on the left side of the area floats over three Paraguayan defenders and onto the head of substitute Gul, but there’s no power on the header and the ball falls straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.
61 mins: Up the other end, Paraguay’s best hope Enciso receives a fizzing ball in the box and turns to shoot but the ball skims just wide.
60 mins: Two substitutions for Turkey. Yuksek and Akgun are off, replaced by Deniz Gul and Can Uzun.
59 mins: A scramble in the six-yard box! A long-range strike from Turkey’s midfield skims off a Paraguayan head and clangs off goalkeeper Gill. The ball spills into the grass towards a Turkish boot, but two defenders fling themselves to the ground to smother the shot.
56 mins: Calhanoglu floats a sensational cross towards the six-yard area, at exactly the speed and curl needed for a Turkish head to flick on into the gaping net, but there’s nobody there except Yuksek who times his run poorly and watches the ball bounce out for a goal kick.
