Türkiye at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

FIFA's official report says Türkiye qualified through the UEFA play-offs after a 1-0 win over Kosovo, following another narrow victory over Romania in the previous round.

That route became necessary after Türkiye had finished second to Spain in their qualifying group, a position that was heavily shaped by an early 6-0 defeat to the European champions. The response after that setback mattered.

Montella deserves credit for that response. He kept the side together, guided them through two pressure matches and got the Crescent Stars back to the finals for the first time since 2002.

Calhanoglu gives the team control and experience, but the real excitement comes from the younger layer. Guler and Yildiz offer the kind of creativity and attacking imagination that can change how Türkiye are perceived internationally.

That matters because this side are not built only around emotion and crowd energy. There is real technical value here now, especially in the final third.

The question is defensive consistency. Türkiye can create and compete, but the tournament ceiling depends on whether the back line holds up when stronger teams start to control territory.