"We are ashamed of ourselves, we apologize to our entire nation" — Arda Güler

13:07 / 20.06.2026·47·Sport

After losing to Paraguay (0:1) in the second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage, the Turkish national team will exit the tournament prematurely. Regardless of the result of the third-round match against hosts USA, it is certain that the Turks will finish last (4th) in the group.

Following this heavy failure, the main hope of Turkish football, Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler did not hide his disappointment and sincerely apologized to the entire Turkish people.

Arda Güler's painful statement

Despite giving his all on the pitch, the 21-year-old footballer, who could not save his team from defeat, told the media after the match:

"Throughout my career with the national team, I will do everything in my power to make people forget this tournament. We play for very strong teams, and we should have shown that on the pitch. But we failed to achieve it. We conceded a quick goal. There is nothing more to say. We are very sorry. We are ashamed of ourselves, we apologize to our entire nation. We will do our maximum in future tournaments."

Factors behind Turkey's failure in Group D

Comprising stars playing for Europe's top clubs, Turkey entered the World Cup with very high ambitions. However, in practice, the team suffered a deep crisis:

Quick blow: The goal conceded in the opening seconds (2nd minute) of the match against Paraguay broke the Turks' spirit.
Disjointed play: Creative players like Arda Güler, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and Kenan Yıldız failed to act as a cohesive system on the pitch.
The final match — purely for prestige: With 0 points after two rounds, the third-round match against the USA holds no tournament significance for Turkey. This match is merely an opportunity to partially redeem themselves before the fans.

This World Cup was a very bitter but vital lesson for the bright generation of the Turkish national team. Whether Arda Güler and his teammates can recover from this psychological blow and prove themselves in future major tournaments remains to be seen. Keep following the hottest World Cup updates with us!