The Turkish national team secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating Kosovo 1-0 in a decisive UEFA playoff match earlier this year. The victory sparked celebrations across the country and renewed hopes of recreating the success that saw Türkiye finish third at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Now led by a new generation of talented footballers, including Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler, Juventus forward Kenan Yıldız, and captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Türkiye enters the tournament with growing confidence and national expectation. Football analysts have described the squad as one of the country's most gifted groups in recent decades.
Türkiye's return has been one of the major stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team opened its campaign in Group D, where it faces Australia, the United States, and Paraguay. Ahead of their opening match against Australia, head coach Vincenzo Montella urged his players to embrace the occasion while remaining focused on the task ahead.
For many Turkish supporters, the return represents more than qualification. It marks the end of years of disappointment and near misses since the nation's unforgettable 2002 World Cup run, when Türkiye reached the semi-finals before ultimately claiming third place. That achievement remains the country's greatest performance in World Cup history.
With fresh talent, renewed ambition, and millions of supporters behind them, Türkiye now has an opportunity to write a new chapter in its football history. Whether the Crescent Stars can replicate the heroics of 2002 remains to be seen, but one fact is certain: after 24 years away, Türkiye is back on the world's biggest football stage.
