How Paraguay’s 1-0 Win Over Turkey Reshaped Group D and Eliminated a World Cup Contender

Turkey dominated the remainder of the match, registering 33 attempts on goal, but could not find the net against Paraguay’s resolute defense . The defeat was Turkey's second in a row, ending their hopes of reaching the knockout stage .

A historic red card under a new IFAB rule

The match turned dramatic shortly before halftime. In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Paraguay's Miguel Almirón covered his mouth while speaking to Turkey defender Mert Müldür during an altercation . Müldür alerted the referee, and after a VAR review, Salvadoran official Iván Barton issued Almirón a straight red card .

Almirón became the first player in World Cup history to be sent off for covering his mouth during a confrontation — a new regulation passed by IFAB that penalizes any player covering their mouth in a confrontational context to prevent lip-reading or communication with opponents . Paraguay played the entire second half with 10 men but held firm .

How the win clinched Group D for the United States

The USMNT had already beaten Australia 2-0 earlier on June 19, giving the U.S. 6 points from two wins before Paraguay’s match even kicked off . Paraguay’s victory over Turkey ensured that Australia remained on 3 points and Paraguay moved to 3 points, while the U.S. held a 3-point lead over both with one match remaining .

Because the U.S. had already beaten both Australia and Paraguay in head-to-head play, the U.S. could not be overtaken for first place in Group D. The official designation of “y” — indicating the team has clinched the group — appeared next to the U.S. after Round 2 . After two matches, the group table looked like this:

| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|-----|------|-----|----|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|
| 1 | United States (y) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| 2 | Australia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Paraguay | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
| 4 | Turkey (e) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -3 |

Table sources:

How Turkey was eliminated

Turkey lost its first two matches — 2-0 to Australia and 1-0 to Paraguay — leaving it on 0 points . With Australia and Paraguay both on 3 points, Turkey could no longer reach the knockout places and was officially eliminated . The team became one of the first nations to exit the 2026 tournament .

The Group D finale: Paraguay vs. Australia for second place

The final round of Group D sets up Paraguay against Australia in a direct race for the runner-up spot . Both teams have 3 points after two matches. The winner of the final matchday fixture would secure second place and advance to the round of 32, while a draw would favor Australia on goal difference based on the standings after Round 2 .