Noureldein GhanemWashington, DC — In 2002, Türkiye took the world by storm after qualifying for the FIFA World Cup semi-final, a milestone most teams could only dream of.
Before the electric atmosphere of Japan's Saitama Stadium, the Turkish national team proved to be a competitive opponent for Brazil, who ultimately won the match 1-0, ending the tournament run for Türkiye and then-coach Senol Gunes.
Türkiye subsequently went on to secure third place in the tournament.
Türkiye have played in three FIFA World Cups. In 1954, the national team was eliminated in the group stage; in 2002, they achieved their best-ever result; and in 2026, they are set to mark their first return to the global stage in 24 years.
The team is "jam-packed with talent," notes Vincenzo Montella, Italy's former striker and current head coach of the Türkiye national team since 2023.
"The players get on like a house on fire and are a really tight-knit unit… Türkiye are a very young, well-balanced side with a very bright future ahead," says Montella of the Crescent Stars, who are returning to football's grandest stage with the hopes of reviving the 2002 achievement.
Montella is proud and optimistic about this "golden generation" and their potential to surprise as the tournament's "dark horse".
It was on March 31 last year when Türkiye secured their World Cup ticket after beating Kosovo 1-0 in the play-offs, earning their spot in Group D along with host nation the US, Paraguay and Australia.
During the 2024 Euro, Türkiye reached the quarter-finals.
In that tournament, the team exhibited aggressive pressing and technical quality, and only lost to the Netherlands, a European powerhouse, 2-1.
Although Türkiye's rivals in Group D could pose a significant challenge, the team’s historic World Cup qualification and an impressive run at the 2024 Euro are expected to help them reach the knockout stage and beyond.
Türkiye's squad
Türkiye's confirmed squad consists of 26 players as follows:
Goalkeepers: Altay Bayindir (Manchester United), Mert Gunok (Fenerbahce), Ugurcan Cakir (Galatasaray).
Defenders: Abdulkerim Bardakci (Galatasaray), Caglar Soyuncu (Fenerbahçe), Eren Elmali (Galatasaray), Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton & Hove Albion), Merih Demiral (Al Ahli), Mert Muldur (Fenerbahçe), Ozan Kabak (Hoffenheim), Samet Akaydın (Caykur Rizespor), Zeki Celik (AS Roma).
Midfielders: Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter), Ismail Yuksek (Fenerbahce), Kaan Ayhan (Galatasaray), Orkun Kokcu (Besiktas), Salih Ozcan (Borussia Dortmund).
Forwards: Arda Guler (Real Madrid), Baris Alper Yilmaz (Galatasaray), Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt), Deniz Gul (FC Porto), Irfan Can Kahveci (Kasimpasa), Kenan Yildiz (Juventus), Kerem Akturkoglu (Fenerbahce), Oguz Aydin (Fenerbahce), Yunus Akgun (Galatasaray).
The top names to watch, however, are Real Madrid's Guler, Juventus' forward Yildiz, and veteran captain Calhanoglu.
During the last season, Guler became Real Madrid's key player due to his exceptional versatility. The 21-year-old can play as an attacking midfielder (playmaker), a central midfielder and a winger.
He can also play very well with both feet.
On May 31, Guler was named the UEFA Champions League's Revelation of the Season for the 2025/26 campaign.
Yildiz of Juventus, also 21 years old, had a breakout season with the team, scoring 11 goals and providing 9 assists across all competitions.
The two were just breaking into the squad during the 2024 Euro campaign, but now, the team centres around this duo.
Calhanoglu is one of Inter Milan's pillars and an exceptional free-kick and penalty taker who can always pose a threat from outside the box.
This generation of Turkish players is even more talented than the 2002 semi-finalists and is considered the primary challenger to the USA in Group D.
Türkiye are ranked 22nd in the FIFA rankings and will face Australia (ranked 27th) on June 14, Paraguay (ranked 40th) on June 19, and the host nation, the US (ranked 16th), on June 25.
Türkiye's recent results
With one friendly left against Venezuela on June 6, Türkiye are entering the World Cup with a dominant 4-0 win against North Macedonia.
Prior to that match, the Crescent Stars had won seven, lost two and drawn one of their previous ten matches, demonstrating a strong run of form.
Most significantly, Türkiye will be highly confident after beating the USA 2-1 in a friendly match on June 7, 2025. In that game, the Türkiye were behind in the first minute, but managed to pull a comeback with Guler and Akturkoglu's strikes.
Head coach Vincenzo Montella's default formation is 4-2-3-1, which can sometimes morph into a 4-3-3 when on offence.
The team's play style is possession-based, typically used to dominate the flow of the match and keep the ball away from the opponents as much as possible.
Türkiye are tactically flexible and can transition between defence and offence depending on the opponent.
And for the captain Hakan Calhanoglu, the team has qualities and ambitions to spring a surprise. His mantra is progressing "adım adım" (step by step), starting with advancing from the group.
"There is nothing this team can’t achieve! We reached our first target. Hopefully we will do great things in the World Cup too," Calhanoglu expressed in a recent interview.
Commenting on sharing a group with the US, Paraguay, and Australia, Calhanoglu expressed optimism, saying: "We are in a good group in the World Cup. First, let's progress from the group stage, then we'll see. I always think this way."
