3 days ago
This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.
The plan
The past clip Turkey made it to nan World Cup, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz were not moreover born. After a 24-year hiatus, nan Crescent Stars ended their exile by navigating a tense playoff path, eliminating Romania and past Kosovo. The coach, Vincenzo Montella, has guided nan nationalist squad to back-to-back world tournaments pinch arguably their strongest squad ever.
Turkey mislaid 1 crippled successful their qualifying run – against Spain, nan reigning European champions – picking up 13 retired of 18 points. “I wouldn’t waste and acquisition these players for anyone,” Montella said aft nan Kosovo win. “They person shown they tin make sacrifices.”
Guler and Yildiz were conscionable breaking into nan squad astatine Euro 2024; nan squad now revolves astir nan duo. Turkish shot has built a estimation for throwing astir nan word wonderkid loosely, but Guler, of Real Madrid, and Yildiz, of Juventus, merit nan title.
Turkey: Group D fixtures
Show13 June v Australia, Vancouver (9pm local, 14 June 5am BST, 14 June 2pm AEST)
19 June v Paraguay, San Francisco (8pm local, 20 June 4am BST, 20 June 1pm AEST)
25 June v USA, Los Angeles (7pm local, 26 June 3am BST, 26 June 1pm AEST)
Ugurcan Cakir is simply a safe brace of hands and heads into nan tourney having lifted nan convention title pinch Galatasaray. A centre-back pairing of Abdulkerim Bardakci and Merih Demiral supply a reasonably coagulated defence. The right-back Ferdi Kadioglu is good known to Brighton fans aft a terrific season. Hakan Calhanoglu is now nan elder statesman and has assumed a deep-lying playmaker role, while Besiktas’s Orkun Kokcu is successful basking shape and could make a sanction for himself.
The squad is young, but nan spine remains mostly unchanged from nan Euros 2 years ago. And nan aforesaid problem persists: Montella does not person a proven striker. The position is up for grabs, pinch Eintracht Frankfurt’s Can Uzun a contender. The broadside will participate nan World Cup tin of magic and madness.
The coach
Vincenzo Montella has been nan designer down nan nationalist team’s resurgence since his assignment successful 2023. L’Aeroplanino – ‘the small airplane’ – has afloat immersed himself successful nan civilization and he decidedly gets nan Turkish psyche. “Turkish civilization is very adjacent to that of nan spot wherever I spent my childhood. I was calved and raised adjacent Naples,” he says. Montella has managed nan squad amended than astir Turkish coaches of nan past. Gone are nan awesome fractures aliases squabbles betwixt players and staff. The Italian’s default is simply a 4-2-3-1 setup, but he is not acrophobic to operation things up and has proven to beryllium an astute tactician. Montella is simply a stylish, composed, likable characteristic who has built 1 of nan strongest Turkey teams successful modern history.
Star player
Arda Guler has successfully managed nan modulation from prodigy to established unit astatine Real Madrid. The 21-year-old is unfazed by pressure, which is simply a blessing considering nan weight of nan country’s expectations are connected his shoulders. Described by Thierry Henry arsenic “an undisputed, elite world-class talent”, he is nan imaginative spark successful this squad pinch an oculus for goal. The midfielder has risen to nan juncture for his state erstwhile called upon. The nationalist squad is not short connected talent, but location is nary uncertainty that Guler is simply a gamechanger.
One to watch
An statement could beryllium made for Kenan Yildiz – whose surname does mean prima – being conscionable arsenic important and talented arsenic Güler. Long tipped for occurrence since making a sanction for himself successful nan Bayern Munich academy, Yildiz has travel into his ain astatine Juventus and is poised for a breakthrough connected nan world stage. The charismatic guardant has method elegance and beingness powerfulness successful adjacent measure, a joyousness to watch for nan neutral, and loves to return connected defenders. While Montella is not yet clear connected who his No 9 will be, Yildiz is simply a winger pinch an oculus for goal. With 11 goals and 10 assists for Juventus past season, and 3 goals successful qualifying for Turkey, he could beryllium nan outlet for his team.
Unsung hero
Orkun Kokcu’s move from Benfica to Besiktas past twelvemonth appeared unusual connected nan look of it. But it made much consciousness aft he revealed it was a puerility dream to play for nan Black Eagles and it has turned into an inspired move. A difficult worker who does nan soiled activity that often gets unnoticed, he besides plays a cardinal domiciled successful attack. Kokcu scored 10 goals and provided 9 assists for Besiktas successful each competitions; awesome numbers for a cardinal midfielder. The 25-year-old possesses awesome method and passing scope and, for illustration Ferdi Kadioglu, was calved successful nan Netherlands.
Probable starting XI
What to expect from fans?
While not comparable to nan Turkish diaspora successful Europe, location is simply a sizeable organization successful nan US, pinch estimates ranging from 250,000 to 500,000. Turkey fans do not get nan opportunity to spot nan nationalist squad often astatine nan World Cup, but considering nan region and nan exuberant value of recreation and tickets location will not beryllium galore organised ultra groups making nan trip. Expect tons of flags, but not truthful galore flares.
Relations pinch nan US/Trump?
Turkey-US relations are little analyzable than immoderate of their neighbours successful nan region. There are nary awesome negotiated rows and Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump get on well. After a telephone telephone connected 20 May Trump said: “Isn’t it bully to person relationships pinch immoderate very reliable people? He’s a reliable guy, and I person a narration pinch him that cipher other has.” Hopefully, though, nan attraction will beryllium connected football, which is simply a alleviation considering Turkey and nan US are successful nan aforesaid group.
Written by Emre Sarigul for Turkish-Football.com.
