Cubas says Paraguay never stopped believing after Turkey win

Paraguay’s response to pressure was as important as the result itself. After a 4-1 loss to the United States in its World Cup opener, Andrés Cubas said the group never stopped believing, and Paraguay answered with a hard-earned win over Turkey that kept its campaign alive and underlined the team’s discipline under strain.

Cubas framed the turnaround in simple terms: the squad had to “volver a sus bases.” That meant staying compact, leaning on physical effort and refusing to let one heavy defeat define a tournament return that had already been 16 years in the making. Paraguay had not played at a World Cup since South Africa 2010, missing Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 before securing its place for 2026.

The qualification itself had already signaled resilience. Paraguay booked its spot by drawing 0-0 with Ecuador and finishing the South American qualifying campaign with 25 points, enough to earn a place in the expanded field under Gustavo Alfaro’s watch. That context made the Turkey result more than a single group-stage victory. It was a test of whether Paraguay could absorb a setback and still play with conviction when the margin for error tightened.

On June 20, 2026, at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Group D, Matías Galarza struck after 64 seconds, the fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup to that point. The early finish changed the tone immediately, giving Paraguay a platform to defend with purpose and manage the match through work rate rather than retreat into survival mode. FIFA’s match record showed the result also eliminated Turkey.

Cubas’ message after the United States defeat was already pointing to that response. He said the pain of the 4-1 loss had been real, but the team’s mind was already on Turkey. That sequencing mattered: Paraguay did not spiral after the opening setback, and the win over Turkey suggested a side with enough stamina, structure and belief to compete deeper into the tournament.

The group stage still has another test against Australia on June 26, but Paraguay’s ceiling now looks different from the one that followed the opening loss. A team that can recover from a four-goal defeat, score within 64 seconds in its next match and eliminate an opponent on the way can no longer be judged only by its roughest night.