Arda Güler Expresses Regret After Turkey’s Early Exit from World Cup 2026

The Turkish national team faced an early exit from the 2026 World Cup after a disappointing 1-0 loss to Paraguay, leaving players and fans grappling with disappointment. This defeat marked a significant setback for a team eager to reclaim its former glory after a 24-year absence from the tournament.

Turkey’s exit was particularly shocking given the high expectations leading up to the championship. The team’s hopes were dashed by a series of disappointing performances in the group stage, notably failing to score in consecutive matches.

Following the match, Real Madrid star Arda Güler expressed his deep sorrow and issued an apology to Turkish fans, emphasizing that the players bear full responsibility for this failure.

In heartfelt remarks, Güler stated, “There isn’t much to say; we are very sad and feel ashamed. We apologize to our people. I will do everything in my power throughout my international career to make up for this failure and forget this tournament.”.

The young Turkish player added, “We play for big clubs, and we should have shown that on the pitch. There’s no issue between players, but we failed to execute our plans and didn’t score any goals. Scoring zero goals in two matches is unacceptable, and we are sorry for that.”.

Head coach Vincenzo Montella also expressed his disappointment over the early exit, noting that his team deserved better results based on their performance and statistics.

Montella remarked, “I feel very sad. There were high expectations for our country, as well as from the federation and players. I appreciate the effort put in, but we couldn’t translate that into results.”.

The Italian coach added, “In just two matches, we took 65 shots and had high possession rates, but luck was not on our side. Sometimes football does not reflect the effort made on the pitch.”.

Despite Turkey’s dominance in possession during their matches, a lack of offensive effectiveness sealed their fate as they exited the tournament without securing a single victory, leaving a sense of regret among the coaching staff, players, and fans alike.