Türkiye at the World Cup 2026
Türkiye return to the World Cup after a 24-year absence — their last appearance was the famous Korea/Japan 2002 third-place finish. Vincenzo Montella, head coach since September 2023, has rebuilt the side around two of the most-talented young attackers outside Europe's elite: Real Madrid's Arda Güler (21, 14 assists + 6 goals across La Liga and Champions League in 2025-26) and Juventus's Kenan Yıldız (20, 11 goals + 10 assists in Serie A).
Captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan) anchors the double pivot from a deep-six role — a tactical evolution from his more-attacking days at AC Milan. Montella has described him as 'indispensable' to the structure. Çalhanoğlu pairs with İsmail Yüksek (Fenerbahçe) or Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund) depending on the opponent profile.
The Güler-Yıldız axis is the team's defining competitive advantage — both came through Türkiye's youth setup together and have developed clear positional chemistry. Yıldız can play left wing, second striker, or center forward; Güler operates as the No. 10. Defensively, Merih Demiral (Al-Ahli), Çağlar Söyüncü (Fenerbahçe), Mert Müldür (Fenerbahçe) and Ferdi Kadıoğlu (Brighton) form the back four. Goalkeeper rotation between Manchester United's Altay Bayındır and Galatasaray's Uğurcan Çakır.
Group D contains USA, Australia and Paraguay. Türkiye are second favourites behind the USA to top the group (3.20 vs 2.20). The realistic ceiling is a Round of 16 result; the credible bottom is a group-stage exit. Outright tournament price 81.0 — mid-table among UEFA nations.
Outright odds — Türkiye to win World Cup 2026
Group D fixtures
All three group-stage matches for Türkiye at World Cup 2026 with current odds from our partner books.
Squad & predicted XI
Bayindir · Çelik, Demiral, Bardakcı, Kadıoğlu · Çalhanoğlu (c), Yüksek · Akgün, Güler, Yıldız · Aktürkoğlu
Formation: 4-2-3-1 · Coach: Vincenzo Montella
| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altay Bayındır | GK | Manchester United | 14 | 0 |
| Merih Demiral | DF | Al-Ahli | 50 | 6 |
| Çağlar Söyüncü | DF | Fenerbahçe | 38 | 1 |
| Ferdi Kadıoğlu | DF | Brighton | 26 | 1 |
| Zeki Çelik | DF | Roma | 35 | 2 |
| Hakan Çalhanoğlu (c) | MF | Inter Milan | 100 | 22 |
| İsmail Yüksek | MF | Fenerbahçe | 16 | 0 |
| Arda Güler | MF | Real Madrid | 22 | 7 |
| Kenan Yıldız | FW | Juventus | 18 | 6 |
| Kerem Aktürkoğlu | FW | Benfica | 36 | 9 |
How Türkiye qualified for World Cup 2026
Türkiye qualified via the UEFA Group C playoff route. The group-stage campaign produced 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss — second place behind Spain, who beat Türkiye 6-0 in the standout result of the campaign. The Türkiye response was a 0-0 home draw in the reverse fixture three months later — a structural rebound that bought the side credibility ahead of the playoffs.
The playoffs produced narrow but controlled wins over Romania (1-0, semi-final) and Kosovo (1-0, final). Montella explicitly described both as 'controlled-line' victories where Türkiye's only weakness was clinical finishing — a shot count of 14-3 in the Romania match and 16-2 in the Kosovo match underlined the territorial dominance.
Yıldız finished as the squad's leading qualifying scorer with 4 goals, all from his hybrid wide-left forward position. Güler added 3 plus 6 assists. Çalhanoğlu missed the Spain home defeat through suspension — Montella has been explicit that this absence shaped the result. The qualifying campaign was clean for fitness — no major injuries to the spine of the squad.
World Cup history
Türkiye have appeared at two previous World Cups. Best finish: third place at Korea/Japan 2002, the country's defining football moment — wins over Senegal in the quarter-finals and Korea in the third-place playoff after a semi-final defeat to Brazil. Their other appearance was Switzerland 1954 (group stage exit). The 24-year absence between 2002 and 2026 has been the longest of any traditional UEFA football nation.
| Year | Host | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Switzerland | Group stage |
| 2002 | Korea/Japan | Third place |
| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakan Şükür | FW | retired | 112 | 51 |
| Burak Yılmaz | FW | retired | 77 | 31 |
| Tuncay Şanlı | FW | retired | 80 | 22 |
| Hakan Çalhanoğlu | MF | Inter Milan | 100 | 22 |
| Cenk Tosun | FW | Beşiktaş | 53 | 17 |
| Lefter Küçükandonyadis | FW | retired | 50 | 21 |
FAQ
Who is Türkiye's coach at World Cup 2026?
Vincenzo Montella, head coach since September 2023. The Italian coach previously managed Roma, AC Milan, Sevilla, Fiorentina and Adana Demirspor. The Türkiye role is his first national-team appointment. He has built the side around the Güler-Yıldız attacking axis and oversaw the playoff route qualification campaign.
Has Türkiye ever won the World Cup?
No. Türkiye's best finish is third place at Korea/Japan 2002 — beating South Korea 3-2 in the third-place playoff after a semi-final defeat to Brazil. The team also produced the fastest goal in World Cup history at that tournament — Hakan Şükür scored after 10.8 seconds against South Korea.
Is Arda Güler in Türkiye's 2026 squad?
Yes — and is widely expected to start as the No. 10 in Montella's 4-2-3-1. The Real Madrid playmaker finished 2025-26 with 14 assists and 6 goals across La Liga and Champions League at age 21. He pairs with Juventus's Kenan Yıldız (11 goals, 10 assists in Serie A) — the two-pronged attacking axis Montella has built the team around.
Who is Türkiye's all-time top scorer?
Hakan Şükür with 51 goals from 112 caps. Şükür is the architect of the 2002 third-place run and scored the fastest goal in World Cup history against South Korea. Burak Yılmaz sits second on the all-time list with 31 goals; Tuncay Şanlı and Hakan Çalhanoğlu are tied next at 22 goals each.
What group is Türkiye in at World Cup 2026?
Group D alongside USA, Australia and Paraguay. USA are favourites at 2.20; Türkiye second favourites at 3.20. Türkiye open against Paraguay on 19 June, face Australia in their second match, and conclude with the USA fixture — the headline match of Group D.