Team USA’s next game is against a familiar opponent with what could be an unfamiliar name to many — Türkiye.
The nation formerly known as Turkey will face off against an American team that already clinched a trip to the Round of 32 in the World Cup. While the game may not have much at stake for American audiences, it has sparked some questions about why the country changed its name to Türkiye.
When Did it Become Türkiye?
The change to Türkiye is a relatively recent move, especially for a nation that has historic roots. As NPR reported, the U.S. State Department first started spelling Turkey as “Türkiye” in 2023, agreeing to a request from the Turkish embassy.
As the report noted, the name change came as Turkish leadership aimed to move back to the nation’s historic name.
“Turkish people have called their country Türkiye since 1923 when the Ottoman Empire fell and the Turkish Republic was formed,” the report noted. “In 2021, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed for the name by launching a global rebranding campaign. He asked the rest of the world to embrace his country’s original name, not the anglicized version.”
The move was meant to help the Turkish economy, and end an association with an already existing English word of the same spelling.
“Some supporters say they wish to dissociate the country’s name from the bird — which is largely known in the U.S. for being a popular dish on Thanksgiving as well as being a slang for something that does not work or is foolish,” the report added.
This is the first time that World Cup audiences will see the name Türkiye on the scoreboard. The nation first initiated the change in 2022, but failed to reach the World Cup for that year’s competition.
Not Much at Stake in Thursday’s Match
As The Athletic noted, there is nothing at stake in Thursday’s game between Team USA and Turkiye (which the outlets still spells Turkey). The United States has clinched the top spot in the group stage and the Turkish squad has already been eliminated.
“The biggest questions about the game hover over who Mauricio Pochettino will put in the starting XI and how much rotation there will be,” the report noted. “Star attacker Christian Pulisic said he’s available to play after missing the match against Australia with a calf injury. How many minutes he plays, if any, remains to be seen.”
This year’s World Cup has been a disappointment for Türkiye, which came into the tournament harboring hopes of making the Round of 32.
“As for Turkey, much has changed since earning qualification” the report noted. “Once viewed as the United States’ toughest group-stage opponent and a potential contender to top the group, the Turks are now heading home, regardless of the result against the U.S.”
Why is it Spelled Turkiye? World Cup Team’s Name Change Explained