2026 World Cup: A Turkish Affair—Call for the Paraguay Loss to Be Overturned
There’s no respite for Turkey. Having arrived in the United States with high expectations and touted by many as a potential World Cup dark horse, Vincenzo Montella’s national team instead bid farewell to the tournament well ahead of schedule, suffering two losses in its first two group-stage matches. Even on the eve of the match against the United States in Los Angeles—a game that had lost all significance for the standings except as a showcase for the already-qualified hosts—the atmosphere of intense tension surrounding the Turkish team was palpable. The delegation arrived in the City of Angels carrying with them disappointment, anger, and controversy, fueled by their latest crushing defeat against Paraguay.
A significant protest took place in front of the team’s hotel. Alongside the many supporters who accompanied the team bus from the airport waving Turkish flags, there was also a group of enraged fans who directed chants and criticism at both head coach Montella and federation president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu. “Montella go home,” “Shame on you,” and “Go home” were the most frequently chanted slogans.
The federation president himself spoke out: “Our greatest regret is having disappointed the fans. Many came from all over the world to support us, and this hurts us deeply. We apologize, but we are convinced that these players will be able to restore enthusiasm and deliver results,” stated Haciosmanoglu, reaffirming his confidence in both the team and the Italian coach and pointing to Euro 2026 as an opportunity for redemption.
The controversy, however, is not limited to the results. In Turkey, in fact, what happened during the match against Paraguay continues to spark debate. At the center of the controversy are Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton—who had already come under scrutiny for sending off Almiron—and Paraguayan midfielder Matias Galarza, who scored the decisive goal. During a particularly tense match, Barton lost his smartwatch while trying to break up one of the many brawls that broke out on the field. Television footage showed Galarza picking up the watch and walking away with it, even going so far as to put it on before returning it. The video quickly went viral on social media, racking up millions of views.
In Turkey, however, the incident took on far more serious implications than a simple meme. Many observers pointed out that Galarza had already been cautioned and that the referee, busy retrieving the watch and managing the general chaos, failed to take disciplinary action against him. According to this interpretation, the player should have been sent off, with possible consequences for the outcome of the match.
According to reports in the Turkish press, the federation even considered a sensational request to replay the match. Behind the scenes, contacts were reportedly initiated with FIFA, supported by legal advisors, to assess the feasibility of the initiative. Haciosmanoglu himself is said to have encouraged the effort: “Even if there’s only a one percent chance, we have to try. It’s our duty to defend our rights.”
FIFA’s response, however, was reportedly negative. While acknowledging the exceptional nature of the incident, the international body reportedly found no evidence sufficient to compromise the fairness of the refereeing. A key factor, in particular, was that Barton had a second timing system, a circumstance that ruled out any concrete impact on the course of the match.
