World Cup elimination! Turkish stars collapse in despair, Real Madrid's €90 million rising star sighs skyward, many cry in anguish

The Group D second-round match ended on June 20 Beijing time with Turkey unexpectedly losing 0-1 to Paraguay, even though they were a man up for the whole second half. With back-to-back losses, they were ruled out of the group one round before the end. Turkey thus became the second eliminated team in this World Cup, after Haiti.

When the final whistle blew, the eliminated Turkish players all collapsed to the ground. Real Madrid's €90 million star Guler looked up at the sky and sighed, muttering to himself, seemingly unable to accept the harsh result.

Meanwhile, Muldur, who missed several golden opportunities, broke down and knelt crying in despair. Defender Demiral, who failed to score a last-minute equalizer with a header, sobbed with his head in his hands, almost hopeless.

The Turkish players' devastation is completely understandable. After all, they played with a man advantage in the second half and fired 32 shots in the entire match, yet still failed to score a single goal.

Over two games, Turkey launched a total of 62 shots without finding the net, leading to two consecutive losses and elimination. Given that, it's hardly surprising.

What a pity that this Turkish team was touted as a "golden generation" with a formidable squad. Guler, Calhanoglu, Demiral, Kadioglu, and Yildiz are all names well known to fans who follow European leagues.

Yet this European powerhouse, with a total squad value close to €500 million (€474 million), was eliminated from the group stage early, right behind the underdog Haiti. It not only disappointed expectations but also embarrassed European football.