Galarza strikes early as Paraguay stuns Turkey in World Cup opener

Matías Galarza needed only two minutes to tilt Group D, drilling a low left-footed shot from outside the area off the post and into the net after Julio Enciso set him up. At San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Paraguay turned its opener against Türkiye into an immediate test of nerve, tempo and shape.

FIFA listed the match as World Cup 2026 Match 31 in the first stage, and the stakes were obvious before kickoff. Paraguay came into the tournament with its first World Cup appearance since Sudáfrica 2010, while Türkiye returned to the finals after a 24-year absence. With Estados Unidos and Australia also in Group D, ESPN had framed the match as one that could keep either side in contention for the next round or leave the loser in serious trouble.

The goal itself carried both planning and instinct. Enciso, whom FIFA highlighted as one of Paraguay’s key pieces, slipped into the move and found Galarza, who was included in Paraguay’s official squad alongside coach Gustavo Alfaro. Galarza did the rest with a first-time finish that kissed the post before crossing the line, a strike that rewarded both the timing of the run and the willingness to shoot from distance before Türkiye could settle.

That kind of start can reshape a tournament match in an instant. Paraguay’s early lead likely gave Alfaro the chance to compress space and force Türkiye into a more urgent chase, while Vincenzo Montella’s side had to respond before finding any rhythm. In a group game with little margin for error, the first minutes often decide whether a team can control the pace or spend the rest of the night trying to recover it.

For Paraguay, the breakthrough showed how a fast start can do more than fill the scoreboard. It can turn an opener into a psychological lever, pushing the opponent into hurried decisions and giving the scoring side a firmer grip on the game’s emotional center. In a Group D already loaded with pressure, Galarza’s second-minute strike changed the terms immediately.