TEAM SCHEDULE AT THE WORLD CUP
3 appearances. Best finish: Third place.
Turkey is a three-time World Cup participant with a best result of third place at the 2002 World Cup in Korea. At the 2026 World Cup, Turkey plays in Group D against Paraguay, the USA, and Australia. Head coach Vincenzo Montella (an Italian, since September 2023) led Turkey to the Euro 2024 quarterfinal. The leaders: Arda Güler (Real Madrid, 21), Kenan Yıldız (Juventus), Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Mert Müldür.
In 2002 in Korea and Japan, Turkey made a sensational World Cup debut — beating Japan in the round of 16, Senegal in the quarterfinal (1:0 in extra time on İlhan Mansız's goal), then losing 0:1 to Brazil in the semifinal. The third-place match against host Korea was a 3:2 win, with Hakan Şükür scoring the fastest goal in World Cup history (11 seconds). The 2002 bronze remains Turkey's best result. After that came 24 years of complete absence from the World Cup.
Qualifying came through the play-offs. Turkey beat Kosovo 4:0 in the final on March 31, 2026. Montella, a former Roma player, rebuilt the team around young talents — Güler and Yıldız, both under 22. In Group D the main rivals are the USA (matchup on June 26 in Los Angeles) and Paraguay. Matches are in Vancouver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. A possible round of 16 against Belgium or Croatia — a real shot at the quarterfinals.
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