Arda Guler apologizes to nation: Turkey exits World Cup prematurely

Arda Guler, the young star of the Turkey national team and Real Madrid midfielder, has apologized to fans following a failed campaign at the World Cup. A 1-0 defeat against Paraguay officially ended the Turks' run in the tournament. Vincenzo Montella's men failed to score a single goal in the first two group stage matches. This is reported by Goal.com news reports.

Having reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and winning the hearts of many, the "Crescent-Stars" team entered this World Cup with high hopes. However, a series of unexpected setbacks put the team in a difficult position. First, a 2-0 defeat to Australia, followed by the loss to Paraguay, mathematically eliminated Turkey's chances of reaching the play-offs.

After the match, 21-year-old Arda Guler could not hide his emotions. Considered a leader of the new generation of Turkish football alongside Kenan Yildiz, the footballer admitted in an interview with TRT Spor that the team's level was far below expectations. According to him, the players failed to perform in accordance with their prestige at their respective clubs.

Historical anti-record and ineffective attacks

"We are very ashamed and apologize to our entire nation. We play for some of the biggest teams in the world and we should have proven it on the pitch. We couldn't score a single goal in two games. I will do my best to make the fans forget this tournament during my career with the national team," noted the Real Madrid member.

Statistical data provided by Goal.com shows how serious the Turkish national team's attacking problems are. Over two matches, the Turks took a total of 62 shots on goal, but none resulted in a goal. According to Opta analysis, this is a record for the most shots without scoring in two consecutive World Cup matches since 1966.

In the match against Paraguay, Turkey held 78.5% possession and registered 33 shots. Despite such absolute dominance, they were unable to find the back of the net. This inefficiency was the main reason for the team's early exit from the tournament.

Although Turkey will face the USA national team in the final round of the group stage, this match will not affect their position in the tournament standings. Now, the team's main goal will be to win the final game, restore their pride, and partially redeem themselves before the fans.