15.06.2026 08:50
The critical scenario has emerged for the National Team, which started the World Cup with a defeat against Australia. If the National Team also loses to Paraguay and the USA takes points from Australia, they will face the danger of being eliminated from the tournament without waiting for the final group match.
In the first match of Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Turkish National Football Team lost 2-0 to Australia, losing their advantage in the group from the very first encounter. Following this result, all eyes turned to the second match against Paraguay.
ELIMINATION SCENARIO EMERGES
In the worst-case scenario for the national team, the tournament could end before the final group match. If Turkey loses to Paraguay and the USA gets points against Australia, the star-and-crescent team could mathematically finish last and face elimination risk before the final match.
HEAD-TO-HEAD AVERAGE DETAIL STANDS OUT
In the tournament, the priority of the head-to-head average criterion in case of a tie makes Turkey's job even harder. Due to the loss against Australia, the national team is at a disadvantage, and losing to Paraguay would severely damage their chances of advancing from the group.
PARAGUAY MATCH IS A FINAL
For this reason, the Paraguay match has become almost a final for Turkey. The star-and-crescent team will take the field with the goal of getting points to continue their journey in the World Cup.
HOPES NOT LOST
Although the defeat in the first match dampened morale, Turkey's chance of advancing from the group is not completely over. However, a possible poor result against Paraguay could cause the World Cup adventure to end much earlier than expected.