Turkey arrived at this World Cup with momentum and starpower after reaching the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, but left in tears after failing to convert a staggering 32 shots against Paraguay in a goalless defeat that ended their tournament hopes.
The collapse marked a stunning reversal for a squad built around rising talents like 21-year-old Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz. Turkey had generated 30 attempts in their opening loss to Australia as well, scoring in neither match. After Wednesday's second straight defeat without a goal, the weight of expectation turned to despair.
Guler addressed the nation afterward, his frustration evident. "We tried very hard but it didn't work," he said. "We should have scored some goals. We should have won these games. Everybody's sad, everybody's crying."
The exit comes after a return to the World Cup stage following a 24-year absence. Now Turkish players and staff face a firestorm at home before their final group game against the USA, who have already secured knockout qualification.
Paraguay's victory delivered vindication after they lost 4-1 to the Americans in their opener. Coach Gustavo Alfaro credited his squad's character in grinding out the result. "It's nothing about tactics or strategy here," he said. "This victory, this result is to the credit of the players."
Elsewhere on day nine, Scotland suffered a 1-0 defeat to Morocco after conceding within two minutes, with two penalty appeals waved away during the match. The USA pushed forward with their second consecutive victory, clinching knockout status. Brazil dominated Haiti with a 3-0 win.
The tournament saw its first red card for mouth-covering, when Paraguay's Miguel Almirón was sent off following an exchange with Turkey's Mert Muldur.
Author James Rodriguez: "Turkey had the talent to make noise here, but bottling two straight goalless matches against beatable opponents is the kind of failure that haunts a team for years."
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