▲ Paraguay players celebrate after their World Cup Group D match against Türkiye in Santa Clara on the 19th (local time).
Paraguay (FIFA ranking 37th) has boosted its chances of advancing to the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup after defeating Türkiye (32nd) despite being shorthanded due to a "mouth-covering" incident.
Paraguay secured a 1-0 victory over Türkiye in their second Group D match of the World Cup, held at the Bay Area Stadium in San Francisco, California, on June 20 (KST).
After a 1-4 loss to the United States in their first group match on June 13, Paraguay now holds a record of one win and one loss (3 points), placing them third in the group behind the United States (two wins) and Australia (one win, one loss).
This victory marks Paraguay's first World Cup win in 16 years, since their match against Slovakia at the 2010 South Africa tournament.
On the other hand, Türkiye, having suffered a defeat to Paraguay following their loss to Australia, has been eliminated from the group stage regardless of the result of their remaining match against the United States.
In their match against Australia, Türkiye dominated with 62% possession (compared to Australia's 27%) and attempted 30 shots, but failed to score and lost 0-2.
The flow of the match against Paraguay was similar, with Türkiye recording 31 shots to Paraguay's 7.
Paraguay's opening goal came shortly after the match began.
Paraguay penetrated the right flank of the Turkish defense, and Matias Galarza received a precise pass from Julio Cesar Enciso in front of the penalty arc before firing a powerful left-footed shot to score.
Following the goal, Paraguay tightened its defensive line to lock down the goal, maintaining the one-goal lead while fending off continuous attacks from Türkiye.
A turning point occurred late in the first half when a red card was issued. After Paraguay forward Isidro Pitta attempted a rough tackle and then appealed to the referee that his foot had been stepped on by an opposing player, a scuffle broke out between the two teams.
Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was seen covering his mouth while speaking toward Türkiye's Muldur. After a video review, the referee confirmed the action and issued a red card to Almiron.
Ahead of this World Cup, FIFA introduced a new rule to prevent hate speech, such as racism, which mandates the expulsion of any player who covers their mouth while confronting an opponent.
This is the first time a player has been sent off under this regulation.
Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, Paraguay managed the second half with all players contributing to defense, successfully fending off critical scoring threats to preserve the victory.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.