Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella expressed deep disappointment following his team's elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay in the second round of Group D matches.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Turkey's campaign ended after back-to-back losses. The team had previously suffered a 2-0 defeat to Australia and failed to score a single goal in either match.
Speaking after the game, Montella insisted that his players could not be faulted for a lack of effort despite the disappointing outcome.
"I am very sad. The whole country had great expectations, and so did we. I also feel sorry for our federation. I know how hard our players worked. Usually, something like this happens once in 50 matches. In two games, we had 65 shots. I do not even want to talk about possession. Fate was not on our side," Montella said.
The Italian coach revealed that he had tried to lift his players' spirits after the final whistle.
"I told the players: 'You gave everything. As the saying goes, you cannot escape fate.' I am not saying that one player could have done more or another could have played better. I always look at commitment. Everyone fought incredibly hard and showed tremendous desire."
Montella also suggested that Turkey's limited experience at major international tournaments may have played a role in the disappointing campaign.
"We need to get used to playing in major tournaments. We need to qualify for World Cups regularly. Because we are not always present at events like this, it may have subconsciously affected the players. The national team needs to develop that habit."
The coach rejected any attempts to single out individuals for criticism, stressing that the entire squad had worked tirelessly throughout the tournament.
"When you represent Turkey, you represent the people, the culture — everything. We must preserve that strength and that spirit. We will continue to work on ourselves," Montella added.
Turkey entered the tournament with high hopes after assembling a talented squad featuring players from several top European clubs. However, defeats to Australia and Paraguay left the team without a point and ended its World Cup journey before the final group-stage match.
