Turkey became one of the first two teams to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup, following their second consecutive loss in Group D. On 19/6, Turkey fell 0-1 to Paraguay in a match where Matias Galarza scored the only goal in the 62nd second, marking the fastest goal of the tournament to date. This defeat, combined with FIFA's new tie-breaking rule, sealed their early exit from the competition.

Vincenzo Montella's team suffered a frustrating defeat despite playing with a man advantage throughout the entire second half. Paraguay's Miguel Amiron was sent off for violating a new rule concerning covering one's mouth when speaking to an opponent. The European team dominated possession with nearly 80%, recorded 32 shots, 51 touches in the opponent's penalty area, and earned 12 corner kicks, yet they failed to score. With head-to-head performance now the prioritized tie-breaker, Arda Guler and his teammates were eliminated early, even with one match remaining. Turkey no longer has a chance to catch the 6 points held by the United States, and they trail Australia and Paraguay by three points, having lost to both opponents.

Mert Muldur (18) shows disappointment after Turkey's defeat to Paraguay in a 2026 World Cup Group D match in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco, on 19/6. *AP*

The 2026 World Cup format allows 32 of the 48 group stage teams to advance to the knockout rounds, including the top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams. However, Turkey is guaranteed to finish last in their group, eliminated after only two matches, a result that brought many of their players to tears.

The change in tie-breaking criteria marks a shift from previous World Cups. From 1970 to 2022, the world's largest football tournament consistently used goal difference as the primary factor to separate teams tied on points, aiming to encourage attacking play. In contrast, the rule for the 2026 tournament aligns with UEFA and AFC regulations, prioritizing head-to-head results. FIFA began altering the tie-breaking criteria order starting with last year's Club World Cup. This new rule ensured Flamengo secured the top spot in Group D after two matches, ahead of Chelsea. The revised regulation also helped Mexico and the United States secure top group spots early in this year's World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup marks Turkey's return to the world's largest football tournament after 24 years. With stars like Arda Guler, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Kenan Yildiz, the European team was expected to advance far. However, instead of emulating the bronze medal achievement of Hakan Sukur's generation in 2002, Montella's squad saw their hopes of progression end after only about one week of World Cup play.

Turkey was not the earliest team eliminated. Hours earlier, Haiti was knocked out after a 0-3 loss to Brazil in their second Group C match. The Caribbean island nation suffered two losses, trailing Scotland by three points and Brazil and Morocco by four points. Starting with this World Cup, head-to-head performance is the prioritized tie-breaker. Having lost to Scotland in their opening match, Haiti no longer has a chance to finish in the top three of their group, regardless of their final match results.

A Haiti defender (white) challenges Cunha (number 9, blue) at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on 20/6. *Reuters*

This marks Haiti's second appearance in the World Cup finals, despite not playing any qualification matches on home soil. Returning to the world's largest football tournament after a 52-year wait, Les Grenadiers conceded four goals and failed to score in the 180 minutes played. Sebastian Migne's team's final opportunity to earn points or at least score in this year's tournament is on 25/6, facing Morocco in Atlanta.

Haiti made their World Cup debut in 1974, grouped with Italy, Poland, and Argentina. In West Germany, the CONCACAF representative lost all three matches, conceding 14 goals and scoring only two, both by Emmanuel Sanon.

Vy Anh