Is Victor Osimhen the key to Turkiye’s success after Paraguay loss seals World Cup disaster?

Victor Osimhen may not play for Turkey, but the Nigerian striker’s influence on Turkish football has become impossible to ignore after the Crescent-Stars crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Afrik-Foot reports.

Turkey campaign officially ended on June 19 after a painful 1-0 defeat to Paraguay at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The result followed an earlier 2-0 loss to Australia, leaving Vincenzo Montella’s men rooted to the bottom of Group D with no chance of progressing to the knockout stage.

Even victory against the United States in their final group match on June 25 in Los Angeles cannot change their fate because FIFA’s head-to-head tiebreak system leaves them behind both Australia and Paraguay.

The defeat to Paraguay summed up Turkey’s tournament. Matías Galarza stunned the Europeans after just 64 seconds with a powerful strike from 25 metres, the fastest goal scored at the 2026 World Cup.

Paraguay were then reduced to ten men in first-half stoppage time when Miguel Almirón received a straight red card following an altercation with Mert Müldür. Despite enjoying a numerical advantage for the entire second half, Turkey failed to find a way through.

The statistics were remarkable. Turkey recorded 33 shots, 78 per cent possession and 12 corners, while Paraguay managed only six attempts and no corners. Yet the South Americans held on. Deniz Gül missed a golden chance in the 88th minute, while Merih Demiral sent a late header wide.

Across matches against Australia and Paraguay, Turkey produced 62 shots and an expected goals figure of 3.53 but did not score a single goal, revealing a serious lack of cutting edge in attack.

Why Turkey’s striker problem points directly to Victor Osimhen

The biggest lesson from Turkey’s World Cup exit is the absence of a proven elite centre-forward.

Montella relied heavily on fluid attacking systems and younger forwards, with 21-year-old Porto striker Deniz Gül leading the line against Paraguay. Although the youngster found promising positions, he lacked the composure and experience needed on football’s biggest stage.

The situation also limited the impact of creative stars, Real Madrid’s Arda Güler and Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Both midfielders helped Turkey dominate possession and create opportunities, but there was no ruthless finisher in the penalty area to convert those chances.

Opponents quickly recognised the weakness. Australia and Paraguay focused on closing down Turkey’s creators, knowing there was no dominant striker occupying defenders or attacking crosses consistently.

Özat’s Osimhen blueprint looks prophetic after World Cup failure

In the midst of Turkey’s World Cup frustration, the country’s attention must be dragged back to comments made by former Turkish international Ümit Özat earlier this year. In March, while Osimhen was starring for Galatasaray, Özat urged the Turkish Football Federation to use the Nigerian as a practical learning model for young Turkish forwards.

Months before Turkey’s elimination, Özat argued that young strikers should learn directly from Osimhen rather than only studying tactical theory.

The former defender described the Super Eagles star as a “living laboratory” for centre-forwards and pointed out several qualities that Turkish attackers could develop by observing him closely.

According to Özat, Osimhen’s movement inside the box, timing of runs, pressing intensity, physical strength and one-touch finishing are exactly the traits missing from many young Turkish forwards.

He also praised the Nigerian’s professionalism, training discipline and ability to play with his back to goal while bringing teammates into attacking moves.

Looking back at Turkey’s scoreless World Cup campaign, those observations now appear more relevant than ever. The national team generated enough opportunities to score several goals but lacked a striker capable of consistently turning chances into results.

While not lacking in talents such as Deniz Gül and the next generation of Turkish forwards, Özat believes learning from a striker of Osimhen’s calibre could accelerate their development.

With public criticism mounting after the World Cup exit and pressure growing on Turkish football authorities, the federation may be wise to revisit ideas that once seemed unconventional. After producing five dozen shots without a goal and suffering an early elimination, Turkey’s search for a clinical number nine has become impossible to ignore.

And in that conversation, Victor Osimhen’s name is likely to remain at the centre of the debate.