Paraguay kept hopes of qualifying for the Round of 32 alive with a 1-0 win over Turkey in their Group D match of FIFA World Cup 2026 in San Francisco on Friday.
Updated: June 20, 2026, 12:11 PM IST
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Paraguay’s Matias Galarza shoots to score against Turkey in FIFA World Cup 2026 match. (Source: X)
Turkey vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D: The fastest-ever goal record changed hands in a matter of few hours in the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament on Friday. Morocco’s Ismael Saibari first shattered the record with his 71-second strike against Scotland in the Group C match in Boston but just a few hours later, Paraguay’s Matias Galarza went six seconds under that record – in 65 seconds – to claim the ‘fastest goal’ against Turkey in their Group D match at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco Bay Area on Friday.
Paraguay’s 1-0 win over Turkey is good news for co-hosts USMNT, who are now assured of topping Group D with six points after their second successive win over Australia earlier on Friday. Turkey, on the other hand, have crashed out of the tournament along with Haiti after their second successive loss.
The South American side will now take on Australia in the final Group D match on Thursday to decide who will progress to the Round of 32 by finishing in second place.
“It’s unforgettable. This is the most beautiful stage in the world, playing amongst the best. I’m so proud. I hope that Paraguay is happy,” Galarza was quoted as saying by AP news agency.
Watch Matias Galarza score the fastest goal in FIFA World Cup 2026 here…
Fué un golazo !!!de Matias Galarza
pic.twitter.com/0WHHjG7SHC— Dua Chipa (@DuachipaPY) June 20, 2026
Paraguay ended the game one man shot after Miguel Almiron was issued a red card late in the first half for violating a new rule which bans players from ‘covering their mouth’ during a confrontation. Goalkeeper Orlando Gill made several saves to preserve the slender 1-0 lead in a game when Turkey 32-7 edge in shot attempts at goal.
“It was very hard. These games are very tough, especially one man down. We have to highlight the great group effort and commitment we showed as a team to keep fighting and do this until the end,” midfielder Andres Cubas was quoted as saying by AP.
Paraguay, though, managed to recover from a 4-1 hammering in the opening game of the tournament against the US. Galarza, who plays for Atlanta United in Major League Soccer, was put into introduced into the starting lineup after missing the opener and rewarded his coach when he sent a searing strike from about 25 yards into the net just 1:05 into the game.
Turkey nearly got the equalizer later in the first half but Mert Muldur’s header off a free kick hit the cross bar and goal post. Muldur was in the middle of the confrontation in stoppage time in the first half that led to Galarza’s ejection.
Turkey had majority of the possession for a second game in a row but again it wasn’t enough after their 2-0 loss against Australia. After returning to the World Cup for first time after 24 years they will be returning home from the first round.
(How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India: Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across Zee5 app and website. Link: https://www.zee5.com/)
