Türkiye defeated Paraguay 2-0.
The victory came on 27 August 2026 at Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asunción, in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 CONMEBOL-UEFA qualifier. Under head coach Ümit Davala, the national team took control early, with Hakan Çalhanoğlu converting a penalty in the 23rd minute and Burak Yılmaz doubling the lead in the 58th minute.
Match statistics showed Türkiye dominated possession at 78.5%, registering 32 total shots with 7 on target, while Paraguay managed only 5 shots and 2 on target. Passing accuracy stood at 88.9% from 629 attempts, with 178 completed. Defensively, Merih Demiral and Abdülkadir Bardakçı marshalled a clean sheet, limiting Paraguay to few clear chances.
This result places Türkiye in a strong position within their qualifying group, building positive momentum ahead of upcoming fixtures listed on our fixtures page. Davala explained post-match that switching from an initial 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 in the second half helped congest Paraguay’s midfield and preserve the lead.
The 26-player squad, detailed on our squad page, saw rotation with 11 starters and 15 substitutes used. Ümit Çakır and Ferdi Kadıoğlu played the full match, providing defensive solidity and width on the right flank, while İsmail Yükşek and Okay Yokuş balanced midfield distribution.
Performance data from our stats page confirms this as a solid starting point for Türkiye’s campaign. Their next match against Ecuador will see them aim to build on this three-point advantage, with the goal of securing a top-two finish in the group as reflected on our standings page.
