After 24 years in the wilderness, Turkey returned to the World Cup their first appearance since 2002. Vincenzo Montella was the man tasked with guiding them back.
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 2 |
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 |
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| 4 |
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
Turkey return to a World Cup after missing every edition since 2002, when they finished third. Vincenzo Montella's Crescent-Stars reached the Euro 2024 quarter-final and have built a young, technically gifted squad around Arda Güler, Kenan Yıldız, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and İsmail Yüksek.
Turkey endured a difficult group stage, unable to advance despite moments of resistance. Their campaign featured a 0-2 defeat against Australia, a narrow 0-1 loss to Paraguay, and a hard-fought 3-2 win against United States.
1won2lost
3scored5conceded
Failed to score in 2 of 3 matches eliminated in the group stage.
Arda Güler, 21, is Real Madrid's Turkish creative midfielder. Often compared early in his career to Mesut Özil, his emergence at Real Madrid has made Turkey a genuine dark-horse candidate.
Kaan Ayhan led Turkey's attack with 1 goal at the 2026 World Cup. Shared the top-scorer honours with Yilmaz and Güler, all with 1.
Montella, 51, took over in 2023 after managing Adana Demirspor in the Süper Lig. A former Italy international, his 4-2-3-1 with Güler in the creative central role has been the tactical spine of Turkey's recent successes. Leading Turkey at his first World Cup 1 win, 2 losses under Montella.
