Turkey compete in Group Four of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Record:
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Best European Championship finish: Semi-finals in 2008
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Best World Cup finish: Third place in 2002
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FIFA ranking: 22
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Last World Cup appearance: 2002
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Nickname: Ay-Yıldızlılar (The Crescent and Star)
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Top clubs: Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş
Qualification: In a qualifying group featuring Euro 2024 champions Spain, Turkey logically finished second and had to navigate a play-off. After narrowly beating Romania at home, they followed up three days later with a win over Kosovo in Pristina, to book what will be only their third World Cup finals appearance.
Coach: After various club stints in Serie A and a successful spell with Adana Demirspor, Vincenzo Montella took charge of Turkey in 2023. Within a year, the former Roma striker guided them to their first European Championship quarter-final since 2008. In World Cup qualifying, his side lost only once — to Spain — and even held the European champions to a 2–2 draw in the final round.
Star player: Arda Güler wasn't yet born when Turkey last appeared at a World Cup, and at 21 he will be the orchestrator of the Turkish midfield. "Everyone dreams of living something exceptional like this with their national team. It's a very special day for me," said the Ankara native after qualification. However, the Real Madrid attacking midfielder's fitness is a concern — despite scoring six goals and providing 14 assists this season, Güler suffered a right thigh injury in mid-April and played only 16 minutes for his club in the final La Liga round.
Ambitions: In an open Group Four containing no team ranked in the top 15 globally — alongside Australia, Paraguay, and the United States — Turkey can target first place and hope for a more manageable last-16 tie, perhaps against one of the best third-placed teams, before a possible round-of-16 meeting with Belgium.