Nobody expected this World Cup to produce such a bizarre upset, as Turkiye’s painful exit left many Cricket Exchange users stunned by how quickly a promising campaign fell apart.
Turkiye looked stronger than their opponents on paper, held a numerical advantage for almost an entire half, and still failed to win a must-win match. Within just 24 hours, the Crescent-Stars suffered two devastating blows, and much of the criticism has landed on Italian coach Vincenzo Montella.
After two group matches, Turkiye lost both games, earned no points, and confirmed an early elimination. The squad was packed with expensive young talents from major European clubs, with a total market value more than three times higher than their opponent’s. Yet across two matches, more than 60 shots brought no goals at all.
Many supporters believe Montella’s rigid tactical choices wasted a top-level generation. Market value has never been legal tender on the pitch. Without a suitable system, stable mentality, and smart in-game changes, even a team full of stars can still come up empty-handed.
Before the tournament, many fans hoped Turkiye could recreate the glory of their 2002 third-place finish. Returning to the World Cup after 24 years, they were widely viewed as a possible dark horse. Transfermarkt valued the squad at around 470 million euros, placing them comfortably among the stronger sides in the 48-team field.
The squad looked dazzling. Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler was valued at 90 million euros, Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz at 75 million, while Frankfurt talent Can Uzun, Inter captain Hakan Calhanoglu, and defender Merih Demiral were all included. By contrast, Paraguay’s squad was valued at only 157 million euros, and their form had been inconsistent after a heavy opening defeat to the United States.
Almost everyone believed this was Turkiye’s chance to bounce back. A win over Paraguay would have kept their qualification hopes alive. Instead, after 90 minutes, every expectation was shattered.
The first major blow was the early elimination itself. In the second round of Group D, Paraguay struck after only 65 seconds. Galarza received a pass from Enciso and fired a low long-range shot into the corner. That lightning goal destroyed Turkiye’s rhythm, almost repeating their first-match pattern against Australia: an early setback, endless pressure, and no final reward.
Near halftime, the match appeared to turn. Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron was shown a straight red card after covering his mouth during an argument, triggering a new World Cup disciplinary rule. From stoppage time in the first half until the final whistle, Turkiye had a full 45 minutes with an extra man.
In theory, they should have stretched Paraguay’s defense, attacked the channels, and created clear chances inside the box. Instead, Montella’s changes confused many viewers. He sent on several attacking players, but the team kept circulating the ball outside the area and taking hopeful long shots, with little penetration through the half-spaces.
The numbers were almost absurd. Turkiye had nearly 80 percent possession, took 32 shots, but hit the target only five times. Twelve corners led to nothing. A golden rebound chance fell to substitute Uzun, but he blasted it over, while the post also denied Turkiye more than once.
Paraguay, despite playing with 10 men, looked more dangerous on the counter. Enciso repeatedly carried the ball forward and nearly doubled the lead. When the final whistle confirmed a 1-0 defeat, the group situation became hopeless. The United States advanced with two wins, Australia and Paraguay each had three points, and Turkiye had none.
The second blow was even harder to accept: the country’s brightest European talents completely lost their way. Guler played every minute of both matches after producing six goals and 14 assists for his club, but he looked far from his best for the national team. Across two rounds, he took 11 shots and hit the target only three times. His rhythm in midfield was slow, his decisions under pressure were hesitant, and too many turnovers dragged down Turkiye’s attack.
Some fans joked that his 90 million euro valuation looked inflated based on these two performances. Yildiz showed obvious one-on-one quality and created space with sharp dribbling, but his finishing was a nightmare. He took 12 shots and hit the target only once, wasting several promising chances. The gap between his dribbling and shooting was night and day.
Uzun had reason to feel frustrated as well. In a life-or-death match, he only came on around the 60th minute, leaving him little time to settle. When the late rebound chance arrived, pressure got the better of him. Even Calhanoglu, the experienced captain, could not steady the team while handling passing, organization, and defensive support all at once.
As Turkiye’s expensive attack broke down in front of goal, the final numbers across Cricket Exchange BD made the failure look even harsher: 62 shots in two group games, zero goals, and no points. In the end, a squad full of talent could not carry the nation forward, and this humiliating exit may become a painful price paid in the growth of a new generation.