Matias Galarza's Early Goal Secures Victory for Paraguay, Keeps Their Hopes of Qualifying for the Round of 32 Alive.

Paraguay kept their hopes alive in the race for a 2026 World Cup knockout stage ticket after defeating 2026 World Cup after defeating Turkiye 1-0 in the Group D match held at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California, United States, Saturday WIB. An early goal from Matias Galarza was the only difference between the two sides.

With three points secured, Paraguay remains on track to qualify for the round of 32. Meanwhile, Turkiye are under increasing pressure after suffering another defeat, having failed to collect a single point from their first two matches.

Paraguay started the match perfectly. Just two minutes after kickoff, Matias Galarza successfully converted an opportunity right outside the penalty box. The Paraguayan midfielder fired a left-footed shot that could not be reached by Turkiye goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.

This early goal dictated the flow of the entire match. Turkiye were forced to take attacking initiative to chase the equalizer, while Paraguay opted for disciplined defensive organisation and waited for counter-attack openings.

Paraguay had to play with 10 men shortly before half time. Miguel Almiron received a straight red card after the referee reviewed a confrontation incident with Mert Muldur via VAR.

Arda Guler and his teammates used their numerical advantage to push for a comeback in the second half. Turkiye's best chance came from a Mert Muldur header, but the ball only struck the goal frame.

Turkiye kept trying to find gaps in Paraguay's defence right until the final minutes of the match, but the solid Paraguayan backline successfully denied all of their efforts.

The 1-0 scoreline remained until the final whistle was blown. This result provides valuable momentum for La Albirroja ahead of their final group stage match.

Starting Lineups

Turkiye (4-2-3-1): Ugurcan Cakir; Mert Muldur, Merih Demiral, Abdülkerim Bardakci (Orkun Kokcu), Ferdi Kadioglu (Eren Elmali); Ismail Yuksek (Can Uzun), Hakan Calhanoglu; Yunus Akgun (Deniz Gul), Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz; Kerem Akturkoglu (Baris Alper Yilmaz)

Paraguay (4-42): Orlando Gill; Juan Caceres (Alexandro Maidana), Gustavo Gomez, Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso; Miguel Almiron (RC), Andres Cubas, Matias Galarza (Jose Canale), Diego Gomez (Gustavo Velzquez); Julio Enciso (Gabriel Avalos), Isidro Pitta (Damian Bobadilla)