Türkiye name squad for 2026 World Cup play-offs under Montella
Türkiye's coach Vincenzo Montella named a squad for the March 2026 World Cup play-offs, which the team went on to win to qualify.
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In March 2026, Türkiye's coach Vincenzo Montella named the squad for the European play-offs, the last route to a place at the 2026 World Cup. Türkiye had missed direct qualification from its group and had to win two knockout matches.
The team beat Romania 1-0 in the semi-final in Istanbul on 26 March. In the final on 31 March, it won 1-0 away to Kosovo in Pristina, with Kerem Aktürkoğlu scoring the only goal. The result sent Türkiye to its first World Cup since 2002.
The squad mattered because it formed the core of the side that reached the finals. Aktürkoğlu, a winger, was among its key attacking players at the time. After a poor Nations League run and an exit from the tournament, Montella was replaced by Sergen Yalçın in October 2026, which is why the squad choices for the next matches drew attention.
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Sergen Yalçın's Turkey squad for Belgium, France · 3 updates
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