Calhanoglu: "Maybe this is my last World Cup, football is sometimes very cruel"

The defeat (0:1) against Paraguay in the 2nd round of the 2026 World Cup group stage was a heavy blow for the Turkish national team. Regardless of the result of the final match against the hosts, USA, it became clear that the Turks cannot rise above fourth place in the group and will exit the tournament prematurely.

Following coach Vincenzo Montella and young star Arda Güler, the national team captain and Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu also shared his painful and emotional thoughts on this failure.

"It's hard to find words" — The captain's quote

The national team's most experienced and leading player described the situation on the pitch and the team's psychological state as follows:

"It's hard to find words right now. This is very difficult. I tried everything in both games. We shot — it didn't work. We pushed — there was no result. Pure bad luck. They scored on their first shot. Everyone is sad and depressed. We tried, but nothing came of it. This has been a useful experience for everyone".

3 key points of Hakan Calhanoglu's statement

In his speech, the captain touched upon not only today's defeat but also the team's future and his own fate in the national team:

• The last World Cup flame: Considering his age, Calhanoglu admitted a very painful truth in his career: "Our team is young, there are many tournaments ahead. Maybe this is my last World Cup".

• Pride and experience: Despite the defeat, Hakan urged the team not to break spiritually: "We should be proud of ourselves because qualifying for the World Cup is not easy. Leaving the tournament is always hard".

• The cruel law of football: Despite dominating the opponents in both games, a simple mistake proved costly: "Football is sometimes cruel. We must learn from this situation. Once again, we lost the game because of a single shot".

The final battle: Fighting for reputation

Although the 2026 World Cup is over for the Turkish national team in terms of progression, a 3rd round match against the host USA awaits. The team, led by Hakan Calhanoglu, will take the field for their reputation and for the Turkish fans who have come from afar to support them.

Major tournaments are always full of unexpected dramas, and we hope this failure serves as the foundation for future victories for Turkey's young generation. Follow the World Cup diary with us!