Utter despair. TV cameras capture Arda Güler’s first words after World Cup 2026 elimination
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The Turkish national team is living through a true sporting tragedy at the 2026 World Cup. A narrow defeat to Paraguay (0-1), coming on the heels of their opening loss to Australia (2-0), has prematurely ended Vincenzo Montella’s side’s hopes of advancing and knocked the “Crescent-Stars” out of the tournament. The entire nation has plunged into mourning, while the players themselves have been hit with a wave of harsh criticism from local media, former coaches, and ex-national team players.
Details: The scenes from the San Francisco stadium after the final whistle were devastating. As some players wept inconsolably right on the pitch, attacking talisman Arda Güler tried to hold back tears, but his face showed nothing but utter despair. Turkey entered the tournament as the undisputed favorite in their group, and nobody expected such a collapse.
The day’s most viral moment on social media became footage shot by Turkish public television. The cameras zoomed in on Güler in the first seconds after the match ended.
The broadcasters clearly picked up the first words that escaped the Real Madrid midfielder’s lips:
“Oh my God. Why?” Arda said, gazing up at the sky for a few moments.
Reminder: Before the match against Australia, a scandal erupted: the Turkish national team captain was suspected of smoking.
