World Cup 2026: Turkey’s Arda Güler apologises after early World Cup exit

Turkey midfielder Arda Güler has apologised to the nation after his country’s hopes of progressing at the 2026 World Cup were ended following defeat to Paraguay.

The result confirmed Turkey’s elimination from the tournament after losses in their opening two group matches, marking a disappointing return to the World Cup for a nation appearing at the competition for the first time in 24 years.

Having already been beaten by Australia, Turkey needed a positive result against Paraguay to keep their qualification hopes alive. Instead, another defeat brought their campaign to an early end and left players facing difficult questions about their performances.

Speaking shortly after the match, Real Madrid midfielder Güler admitted the team had fallen far below expectations and offered an apology to Turkish supporters.

“We are ashamed. We all play for top clubs and we should be doing much better in this competition,” the midfielder said in the mixed zone after the final whistle.

The 2026 World Cup was expected to provide Turkey with an opportunity to make a strong impression on their return to football’s biggest stage.

However, the campaign has been marked by disappointment, with the team failing to collect a point from their first two matches.

One of the most concerning aspects of Turkey’s performances has been their lack of goals. The side has been unable to find the net in either of their opening fixtures, leaving them without an attacking breakthrough despite the quality available within the squad.

Güler acknowledged that reality and promised to work towards restoring confidence in the national team in the years ahead.

“We didn’t score a goal in two games. Throughout my national team career, I will do my best to make people forget this tournament,” he promised.

Although Turkey have already been eliminated, they still have one group match remaining.

The team will face the United States on June 26 in a fixture that will have no impact on their qualification hopes.

Instead, it will offer the players one final opportunity to end a difficult tournament on a positive note before bringing their World Cup campaign to a close.