After Turkey's goalless elimination in Group D, manager Vincenzo Montella addressed criticism directed at his attacking players. 'We had 65 shots and the opponent won with very few chances. I'm surprised nothing worked – we went forward and nothing happened, but the opponent approached and it happened with the first attempt,' Montella told TRT Spor.
Montella rejected the notion that tactical substitutions cost the team. 'I brought on Barış Alper Yılmaz and another forward based on how the game was going, not due to opposition pressure. Suggesting a different striker would have changed everything is taking the easy path,' he said.
Across two matches, Turkey failed to find the net, recording 62 total attempts – the most without scoring in any two-match span recorded since 1966 in World Cup data.
Turkey's World Cup 2026 campaign ended after just two matches. Following a 0-2 opening defeat to Australia, they lost 0-1 to Paraguay on June 20, marking a disappointing return to the tournament after a 24-year absence.
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