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Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler has publicly apologised to fans in Türkiye following the national team’s disappointing exit from the 2026 World Cup.

The 19-year-old playmaker expressed his regret after Türkiye’s campaign came to an early end, as the side managed to secure no points from their opening two group-stage matches.

In the early hours of Saturday, Türkiye faced off against South American side Paraguay in their second group fixture. Heading into the contest, manager Vincenzo Montella’s men were under pressure to deliver a positive result after a 2-0 defeat to Australia in their opening match.

However, Türkiye once again fell short, succumbing to a narrow 1-0 defeat despite Paraguay being reduced to 10 men late in the first half. The Crescent-Stars struggled to capitalise on their numerical advantage and were eliminated from the tournament.

Arda Güler featured from the start but, like several of his teammates, found it difficult to influence the game in the attacking third.

Speaking to reporters after the match, with Türkiye’s elimination confirmed, the Real Madrid star took the opportunity to apologise to supporters back home.

“We want to apologise, we feel ashamed. We all play for top clubs and we should do way better in this competition,” Güler said. “In two games, we scored zero goals and it’s not acceptable.”

Güler’s comments reflect the frustration and disappointment felt by both the players and the fans, as Türkiye’s World Cup hopes ended far earlier than expected.