Turkey has announced its full 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s the fourth time the country has qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They achieved their best World Cup finish in 2002, reaching the semi-finals and securing third place with a victory over South Korea. It’s the first time since that tournament that they return to the World Cup.
Head coach Vincenzo Montella announced the full squad today. The captain of the team is Hakan Çalhanoğlu. The 32-year-old Inter Milan midfielder is also the most experienced player with 104 caps for Turkey. The team’s star player is Real Madrid’s Arda Güler. The 21-year-old phenom is undoubtedly one of the players to watch during the World Cup. Other key players to the squad are Kaan Ayhan (Galatasaray), Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Fenerbahçe), Kenan Yıldız (Juventus), Orkun Kökçü (Beşiktaş), and Ferdi Kadıoğlu (Brighton and Hove Albion).
A Millî Takım Teknik Direktörümüz Vincenzo Montella tarafından belirlenen 26 kişilik
Full Squad Turkey For The 2026 FIFA World Cup
Goalkeepers: Mert Günok (Fenerbahçe), Uğurcan Çakır (Galatasaray), Altay Bayındır (Manchester United)
Defenders: Ferdi Kadıoğlu (Brighton & Hove Albion), Merih Demiral (Al-Ahli), Abdülkerim Bardakcı (Galatasaray), Zeki Çelik (AS Roma), Mert Müldür (Fenerbahçe), Çağlar Söyüncü (Fenerbahçe), Eren Elmali (Galatasaray), Ozan Kabak (TSG Hoffenheim), Samet Akaydin (Rizespor)
Midfielders: Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan), Orkun Kökçü (Beşiktaş), İsmail Yüksek (Fenerbahçe), Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund), Kaan Ayhan (Galatasaray)
Forwards: Arda Güler (Real Madrid), Kenan Yıldız (Juventus), Barış Alper Yılmaz (Galatasaray), Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Fenerbahçe), İrfan Can Kahveci (Kasımpaşa), Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt), Deniz Gül (FC Porto), Oǧuz Aydin (Fenerbahçe), Yunus Akgün (Galatasaray)
Qualification For The 2026 FIFA World Cup
To qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Turkey was drawn in a group with one-time champions Spain, Georgia, and Bulgaria. On September 4, 2025, Turkey started their campaign with an important 2-3 win against Georgia. Four days later, Turkish hearts were crushed. Playing in Konya, Turkey suffered a painful 0-6 defeat at the hands of a dominant Spain. Turkey bounced back perfectly, winning their next three matches. In their final group match, they faced Spain again, this time in Seville. Because of the massive goal differential in favor of the Spanish squad, direct qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was nearly impossible.
An impressive Turkey earned a draw against Spain to finish second in the group. It gave them access to the European playoffs. Turkey played in a mini-tournament and took on Romania in Istanbul for a place in the playoff final. Ferdi Kadıoğlu scored the only goal of the game in the 53rd minute, firing Turkey into the play-off final. On March 31, 2026, Turkey qualified for their first FIFA World Cup tournament since 2002. Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s 53rd-minute strike was enough to lift Turkey past Kosovo in Pristina. Kenan Yıldız and Kerem Aktürkoğlu tied as the team’s top goalscorers during the qualifiers, netting three times each.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Turkey will play their matches in Group D. Turkey opens their World Cup on June 14 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where they will take on Australia. Six days later, they take on Paraguay in Santa Clara, California. For their final group stage match, they travel to Inglewood, California, to take on hosts USA on June 25. The two group winners and the eight best third-placed teams from each group will advance to the next stage.
Turkey Schedule
- June 14 – Australia (12 am EST)
- June 20 – Paraguay (12 am EST)
- June 25 – USA (10 pm EST)
Turkey Announces Squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup