Ten-man Paraguay kept their World Cup campaign alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Turkiye on Friday, while the result also confirmed that the United States finished top of Group D.
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Turkiye’s defeat made them the second team after Haiti to be eliminated from the tournament.
Matias Galarza scored the decisive goal just 63 seconds into the match, firing a low long-range effort beyond Turkiye goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir to give Paraguay an early lead.
The match also produced a rare and controversial moment when former Newcastle United forward Miguel Almiron received a red card in first-half stoppage time.
Almiron was dismissed after covering his mouth during an on-field confrontation while appearing to direct remarks toward Mert Muldur, in what was described as the first such sending-off at a World Cup.
Despite playing with 10 men for the remainder of the contest, Paraguay defended resolutely and limited Turkiye’s clear opportunities.
Turkiye pushed for an equaliser late in the game and came closest in the 88th minute when Deniz Gul reacted to a save by Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, but sent his follow-up effort wide.
Deep into stoppage time, Merih Demiral headed narrowly off target as Turkiye’s final opportunity slipped away.
At full time, Turkiye players collapsed to the turf in disappointment as Paraguay celebrated a crucial win that keeps their qualification hopes alive.
