'We Are Ashamed': Arda Guler Apologises After Turkey’s Shocking World Cup Exit

Last Updated:June 20, 2026, 13:51 IST

“We are ashamed. We apologize to all our people.” Arda Güler issued an emotional apology after Turkey crashed out of the World Cup without scoring a goal.

Arda Güler did not hide from the disappointment after Turkey’s World Cup campaign came to a premature end on Friday.

The Real Madrid star delivered an emotional apology to Turkish fans following his side’s 1-0 defeat to Paraguay, a result that eliminated Turkey from the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a game still left to play.

Turkey arrived at the tournament carrying high expectations after their impressive run to the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals. Led by a talented young core featuring Güler and Kenan Yildiz, many believed the Crescent-Stars could make a deep run on football’s biggest stage.

Instead, they leave the competition without scoring a single goal.

Turkey suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Australia in their opener before falling 1-0 to Paraguay despite creating a host of chances. Across the two matches, they managed 62 shots but failed to find the back of the net even once.

The painful exit left Güler devastated, with the 21-year-old accepting responsibility and offering a heartfelt message to supporters.

“We are ashamed. We apologize to all our people," Güler told TRT Spor.

“We play in very big teams and we need to show this on the field. We couldn’t score in two matches."

The midfielder, regarded as the face of Turkey’s new generation, admitted the squad had fallen well below expectations.

Despite the disappointment, Güler vowed to use the experience as motivation moving forward.

“Throughout my national team career, I will do everything I can to make them forget this tournament," he said.

“We apologize to our people."

Turkey’s elimination marks a bitter end to what was supposed to be a breakthrough World Cup campaign. The team will now have one final group match against the United States before heading home, with players and coaching staff likely to face intense scrutiny back in Turkey.

(with Rueters inputs)

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Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His...Read More

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