Paraguay survived a high-stakes, "do-or-die" encounter on Saturday, defeating Turkey 1-0 at the Bay Area Stadium to keep their FIFA World Cup round-of-16 hopes alive.
The South American side played nearly the entire second half with 10 men after captain Miguel Almiron received a historic red card, effectively eliminating Turkey from the tournament.
Paraguay took an immediate lead just 64 seconds into the Group D fixture. Midfielder Matias Galarza fired a powerful long-range strike from outside the penalty box. It stood as the fastest goal of the tournament so far and ultimately decided the match.
Turkey dominated possession following the early setback, launching consecutive attacks. However, Paraguay faced a severe crisis late in the first half. Following a video assistant referee (VAR) review, Almiron was sent off under football's new disciplinary rules for covering his mouth during a verbal altercation with Turkish defender Mert Muldur. Almiron is the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card for this specific offense.
Down to 10 men, Paraguay shifted into a deeply defensive formation for the second half. Despite controlling 78.5% of possession and unleashing a barrage of attacks, Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey failed to equalize. Defender Merih Demiral saw his header strike the framework of the goal, while forwards Deniz Gul and Can Uzun missed clear scoring opportunities.
Turkey’s exit highlights a severe clinical deficiency. Across their opening two matches, they registered 62 total shots—30 against Australia and 32 against Paraguay—and held dominant possession, yet failed to score a single goal.
With this victory, Paraguay rebounds from their opening 4-1 defeat against the United States. Their fate in Group D remains in their own hands: a victory against Australia in their final group match will guarantee them a spot in the knockout stage. Turkey's final match against the USA will now be a mere formality.
