WC 2026: Unexpected Result in Group D — Paraguay Defeats Turkey!

The second round of Group D in the World Cup on North American soil has reached its climax. At the magnificent Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, the Turkey national team faced Paraguay and unexpectedly suffered a narrow defeat.

Quick goal and match chronicle

The only goal that decided the fate of the match was scored in the opening minutes:

• 2nd minute (0:1): While the Turkish defenders had not yet fully settled into the game, Paraguayan player Galarsa took full advantage of a great opportunity and beat Chakir to score.

• Match progression: After the goal, the Turks increased their offensive pressure led by Hakan Calhanoglu and Arda Guler, but Paraguay's solid defense and the reliable performance of goalkeeper Hill prevented Turkey from equalizing.

Group standings

As a reminder, in the second local match of this group, the hosts USA national team defeated Australia 2-0 Paraguay's victory has made the battle for the playoffs in Group D even more complex and interesting.

Team lineups and substitutions

You can find the list of players who took the field in the match below:

Turkey — Chakir, Mildor, Demiral, Bardakci (Kokcu 86), Kadioglu (Elmali 71), Yuksek (Uzun 60), Calhanoglu, Akgun (Gul 60), Guler, Yildiz, Akturkoglu (Yilmaz 46).
Paraguay — Hill, Caseres (Maydana 81), Gomes, Alderete, Alonso, Almiron, Kubas, Gomes (Velasquez 67), Galarsa (Canale 90+1), Enciso (Avalos 90+1), Pitta (Bobadilla 46).

Match details:

Date: June 20, 2026

Stadium: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, USA)

Referees and atmosphere: Thousands of fans gathered at the stadium witnessed a truly pragmatic display of football from representatives of two continents. Showing high tactical discipline, Paraguay secured their first important points of the tournament.

Stay tuned with us for more heated matches and unexpected results in the upcoming rounds of the World Cup!